We all love to be energetic. We have our favorite athletes and sportsmen whose energy we can’t help but marvel at. We get tired merely by climbing two floors and for them, even twenty would be a cakewalk.
Whenever one mentions the word ‘stamina’, what comes to our mind is physical strength. We do not associate the word with mental exertion. However, mental stamina is as important as your physical stamina. The mental aspect of enduring exertion is referred to as endurance. Endurance and stamina are two sides of the same coin and cannot go without each other.
Now, you often wonder how to increase stamina by natural means? There are steroids and supplements available but they aren’t the way a lot of people prefer going about increasing stamina. The best part is that you need not go that way at all. There are natural means which are a combination of diet, exercise, and lifestyle modifications that can increase your stamina the natural way. Here we are listing the top ways to do so.
1. Don’t skip breakfast
Make sure you start your day on a healthy note. Breakfast is the most essential meal of the day and in order to improve your body’s metabolism, it’s best to not skip this meal. If possible, make oatmeals or whole wheat bread and eggs part of your breakfast routine.
Occasionally, you can also treat yourself to some peanut butter as it helps increase the intake of ‘good’ calories and can significantly boost your energy.
2. Stay hydrated
If you often find yourself low on energy, blame it on dehydration. It is important therefore that you increase the intake of fluids and drink water at regular intervals.
Additionally, drinking one glass of beetroot juice daily for breakfast is known to work wonders. Beetroot is loaded with a good amount of nitrates that can help increase stamina and help you get through the day like a breeze. Sip on some hot water in the mornings is an effective way to help boost your metabolism and improve digestion.
3. Make way for magnesium
If you are into sports or into any kind of physical activity, it’s important that you make magnesium a part of your daily diet. Magnesium helps convert glucose into energy, giving you an instant boost. Leafy veggies, nuts, seeds, fish, soybeans, avocado, bananas, and dark chocolate are some good sources of magnesium.
4. Include carbs in your diet
Foods rich in carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, brown bread, etc, provide your body with starch and sugar, which in turn help provide energy and increase stamina. Additionally, complex carbs present in foods like bread, pasta, and rice, unlike simple carbs, help you feel energetic and full all day long.
Such foods provide an instant source of energy which is used as fuel by your body. Make sure you snack on some fresh fruits, nuts, and oats as they help keep your blood sugar levels under check, helping lower your cholesterol.
5. Exercise regularly
Exercising regularly can help increase the resistance of your body by overcoming fatigue and helping you stay fit.
1. Even mild exercises such as jogging, walking, or swimming for a few minutes every day can make you strong. Running or cycling up a hill is a great way to burn calories and increase stamina at the same time.
If you prefer working out indoors, then you could run on a treadmill or simply jog in place. Swimming, on the other hand, is a good muscle and stamina-building exercise as the water provides resistance, thereby making the muscles work harder. Taking a daily yoga or dance class can also help.
2. Include at least half an hour of strength or muscle training in your weekly exercise routine. Over the course, you can gradually increase the duration. For this, you will have to use specialized equipment such as weight stacks, weighted bars, or dumbbells.
3. Apart from cardio, exercises such as jumps, burpees, squat jumps, and even jumping lunges improve your cardiovascular strength, thereby helping increase stamina and performance.
3. Make sure you warm up, stretch, and relax enough before beginning an intense workout session to prevent any muscle strain or damage.
4. If nothing, make sure that you at least play your favorite sport for a few minutes daily. Sports like football, basketball, and other such sprinting games, help strengthen the muscles, making sure that oxygen reaches all parts of your body, thereby helping increase stamina.
5. Relaxing after an intense workout session is also very important.
6. And what better than meditating for a few minutes to help your body cool down.
6. Get a good night’s sleep
Your body needs time to rewind at the end of the day. It’s therefore important that you catch up on at least 7-8 hours of sleep daily in order to improve your mental and physical performance. In case you have trouble sleeping at night, spend a few minutes meditating or doing yoga. This will help beat stress and mental fatigue.
However, going to bed right after a heavy meal can lead to the accumulation of fat in your body. It’s therefore important that you maintain a gap of at least an hour between your dinner and sleep. Brisk walking after your dinner is the best way to boost metabolism and enhance digestion.
7. Eat wisely
In order to increase stamina; it is essential that you concentrate on what you are eating and whether or not the food you consume will do you any good. Additionally, to ensure a continuous supply of energy to your body, it is best to break your meals into five smaller proportions that can then be consumed during regular intervals.
8. Go easy on the salt
When you sweat or engage in rigorous physical activity, your body loses a lot of salt during perspiration. It is therefore important that you maintain you keep a check on your salt intake as you wouldn’t want your sodium levels to drop suddenly.
Low salt intake can cause electrolyte imbalances, causing dizziness, thereby reducing your stamina. Remember that the daily recommendation for sodium intake is 2300-2400 mg. Steer clear from foods such as chips, fast food, canned and prepared soups, deli meats, frozen entrees, anything that’s either processed or packaged.
Foods rich in vitamin C, proteins, and iron help increase energy, improve your immune system, and repair your body’s muscles and tissues.
Oranges, kiwis, lemons, limes, cranberries, apples, guavas, grapefruits, grapes, spinach, kale, bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, gooseberry, chives, basil, and thyme are all rich sources of vitamin C.
While fish, poultry, eggs, milk, cheese, legumes, and nuts are rich in protein, milk, cheese, yogurt, green leafy vegetables, and sardines help increase the levels of iron and calcium in your body.