How to Increase Your Stamina When You Don't Have Any
By Denise Stern

If you haven't exercised in a while, you may notice that you have no stamina to climb stairs, walk, jog or enjoy sports or activities without running out of breath very quickly. Stamina is described as the ability to sustain prolonged physical activity, and is also known as endurance. To increase your stamina and endurance, follow a few basic tips and strategies to increase your strength, lung capacity and cardio strength, safely and effectively.

Step 1

Increase the duration or distance of your exercise or activity plan slowly, suggests Woman Junction. For example, if you can only walk or jog around the track one time before you're out of breath and your heart's pounding, repeat the process for several days, then try to walk or jog another quarter the fourth day. Take two to three days to become accustomed to this additional demand on your body and then add another quarter lap. Slowly increase the duration or distance of your activity as you feel yourself growing stronger.

Step 2

Increase the speed of your activity or exercise gradually every few days. This may also be measured as intensity, and determines how easy or hard you're exercising or working, suggests the American Heart Association. For example, if you can walk around the track without exerting yourself, next jog for a quarter of a lap, or more if you can, to increase your speed and intensity levels.

Step 3

Push yourself to engage in activities that challenge your body, but take care not to injure yourself. For example, try adding a hill-climb to your daily walk at the park, or adding a sprint to your casual jog around the track. Add an extra mile to your bike ride or swim an extra lap or two. You want to feel your heart rate and breathing accelerate, but not to the point where you're gasping for breath, can't talk, or you feel ill.

Step 4

Engage in strength training, which offers physical cardiovascular benefits as well as increasing your body's stamina and endurance, suggests the Mayo Clinic. You can perform strength training with or without weights. Body weight exercises like push ups, lunges, squats and crunches are good for beginners. Start with lower repetitions and then gradually increase repetitions and sets as you grow stronger. Move on to resistance tubes or free weights, gradually increasing both weight and repetitions during your workouts.

Tips and Warnings

• Always check with your health care provider before starting on an exercise routine, especially if you are currently diagnosed with a medical condition.
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References

• Woman Junction: How to Increase Stamina
• American Heart Association: Physical Activity
• MayoClinic.com: Strength Training—Get Stronger, Leaner, Healthier

Comments:

Stamina is important to perform cardio exercise it will also help you recover from heavy resistance. To lose weight and keep a good level of fitness it is important to increase your activity level for a sustained time. So having a great deal of stamina is one of the keys to weight control.