Being physically fit is all about setting goals, working towards them, and then setting higher goals. Whether you’re looking to build muscle, run a marathon, or just prove yourself what you’re made of, you need equal levels of stamina, energy, and courage to prove one’s mettle, even if it’s just for yourself.
However, when you feel like your ambition hits a wall, you may wonder how you can build your stamina and keep going.
Well, as always, we have your back. Here are three tips to help you build up your stamina and give your best in the gym.
#1 Consistency Breeds Champions
The best advice anyone can give you on how to build your stamina comes from Major League Baseball legend Hank Allen, who reportedly once said,”Consistency is everything.” You have to be able to do things again and again. ”
Sure, Hank is talking about baseball, but his words of wisdom are just as relevant as your endurance journey. Pushing yourself in a workout means participating in every workout with unwavering determination, dedication, and commitment.
Inevitably, there are times when just lace up for a long run or attend a fitness class on time can feel like a separate workout. But whether you’re exhausted from micro-workouts, sluggish from lack of sleep, or just in a bad mood, you should boost your energy levels and stay the course.
When you do this, you will get more than just the satisfaction of keeping your promises. In fact, the more consistently you participate in endurance training, the more you’ll benefit from your workouts. Consistency may help build endurance due to the following benefits:
- Consistent exercise is faster than intermittent exercise to develop a Xi routine
- It keeps your muscles relaxed, supple, and ready for performance
- It trains the body to adapt to new challenges and overcome them
If you need help learning how to stay motivated, we’ve got a guide for you.
#2 Establish days off
As you quickly surpass old physical limits and aim for new ones, it’s important to remember that consistency isn’t strict and means going to the gym six days a week or running eight miles every morning before the sun rises. You’ll also need to set aside time from your exercise routine on a consistent basis. Once you’ve learned how to create an exercise plan for yourself, it’s important to remember to include rest and recovery time.
If this seems to contradict our first suggestion, it is not. Indeed, when it comes to building stamina, you have to constantly surpass it. But by building rest and recovery time between breakouts, you’re better off avoiding that burnout that makes you skip workouts once in a while.
What’s more, exercising on “rest days” is actually better for your body. Every workout takes a microscopic toll on your muscles (at least, if you exercise correctly). In the process of self-healing, your muscles gain strength and mass.
Finally, rest days are not only an integral part of building stamina, but also an important aspect of building stamina. They are also key to ensuring that your workout routine is safe and efficient. Rest days are beneficial because they help to:
- Improve your next workout
- Reduce the risk of injury
- Relieves muscle fatigue
#3 Energy-boosting foods
If you’re looking to build energy, a well-rounded, balanced diet that includes strong protein, energy-boosting whole grains, and a variety of fruits and vegetables is a must.
The foods you eat need to provide you with high enough energy levels to complete your workout and leave enough nutrients to help your muscles, bones, and joints recover. This means knowing what to eat before and after your workout.
Tips for building a good endurance meal plan include:
- Eat breakfast – Sleep may make you feel relaxed, but it can be a lot of work for your body. In the morning, be sure to rejuvenate with a healthy breakfast that includes nutritious foods and beverages such as fruit juices, fresh fruit, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products.
- Snack wisely – It’s okay to snack throughout the day, especially when those snacks can fill your energy box for endurance training. This means ditching candy bars and eating granola bars, protein bars, fresh fruit smoothies or peanuts instead.
- Enjoy a post-workout meal – It’s a good idea to enjoy a meal within two hours of your workout, preferably one that is rich in carbs and protein.
Of course, be sure to drink plenty of water and other fluids to stay hydrated. Pay special attention to drinking the right amount of water when exercising and rehydrate before and after your workout to ensure that dehydration doesn’t compromise your endurance.
