How To Increase Stamina: Build Stamina Without Pills & 2024 Tips

Are you looking to boost endurance and improve physical performance so you can lose weight faster? Or maybe you just want to walk up a flight of stairs without losing your breath or too much effort. From fat burner supplements to exercise and sleep, here are simple ways and exercise tips to help you sustain prolonged physical activity. Some of them are fun, like cranking up your favorite tunes! Many are great for your health like cardiovascular exercise. Read on to find ways to eat better and even meditate for mental stamina to give your body all the energy it needs to invoke positive physiological and cognitive responses to keep you going and going and going.

How To Increase Stamina

Herbs And Natural Supplements

For those interested in more holistic approaches to losing weight without the gym, herbs and natural supplements are an excellent choice. Glucomannan is a plant-based dietary fiber that comes from the roots of the elephant yam. Foods high in fiber fill you up efficiently because fiber occupies a lot of space in our stomachs. Glucomannan also goes one step further because it absorbs a lot of water, which aids in the feelings of satiety, and, thus, weight loss. 

Ginseng is a popular herb known to have many positive effects on the body. One known effect is that it increases physical stamina. Athletes will sometimes use ginseng to increase strength and endurance. But how should you use it? Mount Saini’s Health Library medically reviewed taking ginseng in cycles, and they found that was the optimal way. They suggest taking it every day for two to three weeks, stopping for three weeks, and starting back up again. 

Magnesium And Other Energy Boosters

Magnesium has been touted as a miracle mineral for athletes, but why? It turns glucose into energy. Magnesium also affects your nervous system, which helps you feel less worn out after strenuous exercise. Since your body doesn’t make magnesium, you need to find it in the foods you eat or take supplements. Some foods that contain magnesium are roasted pumpkin seeds, almonds, and leafy greens such as spinach, avocados, fish, and dark chocolate. Dark chocolate also contains caffeine, which is also an energy booster, so it does double duty!

In addition, there are also several supplements on the market that can boost your energy. Some include all-natural ingredients such as B12 and turmeric. Others rely on more synthetic ingredients such as caffeine anhydrous, which can adversely affect^[1] women. Make sure to do your research and pay close attention to the nutrition label before choosing an energy-boosting supplement.  

Exercise Daily

You’ve probably heard a million and one times that regular resistance training and strength training for healthy athletic adults is the key to staying healthy. Consistent exercise provides many health benefits, including allowing your body to delay fatigue and maintain a healthy weight. Regular exercise not only helps your muscles with building stamina, but it also can improve your cardiovascular health. The more efficiently your cardiovascular system works to supply oxygen and nutrients to your body, the more likely you are to experience improved cardiovascular endurance.

There are lots of ways you can squeeze exercise into your day. Go all out and do some High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) exercises like burpees and jumping jacks or stick with the more traditional running or swimming. Dancing is another fun way to start building stamina, and you can just throw on some music and get your groove on in your living room. If you need more structure, you can sign up for a dance class or find tutorials online. You can also reach out to a personal trainer if you need help developing a plan to improve your cardiorespiratory endurance and muscle building in the gym or at home. 

Meditation

There’s a mindfulness mantra becoming more popular by the day: go slow to go fast. When we take the time to sit and slow down, it gives our bodies and minds time to recharge. According to the EOC Institute, when you meditate, the health of your cells and your blood circulation improve so nutrient distribution happens as it should. For example, medically reviewed studies have shown athletes perform better when they include activities like yoga and meditation in their routines. 

But how can you squeeze meditating into a busy day? Luckily, even just five minutes a day is beneficial, and you can gradually increase the time you dedicate to the activity over a period of weeks. If you can, do it shortly after waking up because your mind is still clear from a night of rest, and your day hasn’t gotten away from you yet. If you can’t meditate in the morning, try it before bedtime. This will get your mind and body ready for a restful night. You can find countless guided meditations and peaceful music online to follow along with, and you have the ability to switch it up based on how you are feeling each day.

Yoga

The U.S. Library of Medicine^[2] cites a medically reviewed study done on medical students in 2016 over a six-week period. They discovered that the students experienced greater feelings of endurance, focus, and peace when regularly practicing yoga. Yoga helps improve the way your respiratory and cardiovascular systems work. With both systems working efficiently, you enjoy more stamina when exercising and in your daily routine. 

What are some easy yoga poses to increase stamina? The Child’s Pose helps relieve stress and anxiety by opening the chest area. It also stretches the lower back, shoulders, ankles, hips, and thighs. The Lotus Pose is another simple yet effective yoga pose. It improves respiration by opening the chest up as well. The Camel Pose also stretches your torso and relieves back pain. You can always find online videos and articles explaining how to do these poses, and there are various yoga videos you can follow along with online. There are even specific yoga routines designed with stamina building in mind!

Get Plenty Of Rest

We’re revisiting the “go slow to go fast” camp here. It’s incredible how much repair work goes on when you are going “slow.” Studies show you need at least six to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep every night. According to Harvard Medical School, there are three stages of non-REM sleep or quiet sleep.  The last stage, the deepest state, is where all the renewal magic occurs. “This stage of sleep appears to be the one that plays the greatest role in energy, enhancing your ability to make ATP, the body’s energy molecule.” So unless you get those seven or so hours of sleep in, you may not reach that deep state needed for repair.  

What are some tips to get a good night’s sleep? Experts have been suggesting for years to avoid TV and computer screens before bed. The light from them keeps your brain from making melatonin, the sleep hormone. Also, try to avoid caffeine for at least five hours before bed. Gentle yoga poses and meditation will help to quiet your mind and relax your body. If you enjoy natural remedies such as essential oils, lavender is a popular one to ensure quality sleep. You can put some water and a few drops into a small spritzer bottle and spray your pillow to create a calming environment for your senses. 

Getting plenty of rest doesn’t mean you forego your post-exercise recovery techniques, however. These are as essential as getting enough rest. Just putting forth a little physical or mental effort into your physical health will do wonders for your muscular endurance and stamina.

Music

Anyone who’s seen the movie “Rocky” will understand just how motivational music can be. 

Not only does it improve our mood, but it can stop us from getting tuckered out as fast. A medically reviewed study conducted in 2006^[3]  focused on “the effect of music on the selection of treadmill speed and found that while listening to fast-paced music, participants increased their pace and distance traveled without becoming more tired.”   

You might want to create a playlist of your own to use specifically for running, biking, or dancing. Your song choices will also put you in a good mood, which will go a long way when it comes to boosting your workout time. You’ll be distracted by feeling good, so you’ll ignore fatigue or discomfort that would otherwise make you want to stop. 

Eat For Energy Boost

The importance of a healthy and balanced diet can’t be stressed enough. Junk foods high in fat and salt can slow you down and reduce your energy levels. How you eat is just as important as what you eat. If you can, try to eat small meals or large snacks four to six times a day or aim for three small meals a day with a morning and afternoon snack to increase your metabolism. Large meals slow your metabolism down and can drain your energy. And, your body will respond to what you put in it with physiological and cognitive responses.

Here are some energy-boosting foods to try before your next workout to ensure that you can sustain physical exercise performance: Bananas provide lots of energy and contain nutrients that slow the digestion of their own sugar. This makes it a great source of sustained energy. Yogurt is a healthy way to get protein and simple carbohydrates (carbs) into your body. This combination is helpful because protein helps build muscle, while the body uses carbs as energy. Yams (sweet potatoes) are another source of sustained energy, and they have lots of fiber, which slows the body’s absorption of carbs.   

How To Build Stamina Without Pills

Even if you don’t have a gym membership, you can still do many effective things at home to boost your stamina! For example, try going up and down the stairs a few extra times or take a walk right after eating. These neat little tricks kick-start your metabolism and require no equipment. If you have a basketball hoop in your driveway, shoot some hoops for half an hour or so. Here are some other painless ways to get your engine revved up and running longer while you reduce work-related fatigue!

Final Thoughts

You don’t need to incorporate every idea here to see improvement in your staying power. Even just picking a few to go with will help build both physical and mental stamina. Throw in some energy-packed foods while you’re snacking pre- or post-workout. Listen to your newest high-energy playlist while running or biking. Try a new bedtime meditation while diffusing lavender essential oil. No matter which tips you choose, you’re bound to see results with your stamina!