How to Increase Athletic Stamina

Stretch before and after every practice.

If you are an athlete, you have probably heard the phrase "practice makes perfect" over the course of your athletic career. Although true perfection is impossible to achieve in any sport, practice is still the best way to increase athletic ability and stamina. Engaging in cardiovascular exercises such as running, swimming, biking and dance increases the body's level of endurance. Athletes can also improve stamina by engaging in endurance training, strength training and interval training.

Instructions

1. Stretch your entire body before and after every practice to prevent muscle strains and injury.

2. Perform endurance exercises at least three days per week. Time yourself while engaging in distance activities like jogging, swimming and biking. Each time out, try to break your personal records.

3. Increase the difficulty of endurance training gradually. After two weeks of jogging the same route, select a new route with more hills. Run another half-mile. If your treadmill or elliptical routine starts to become easier, increase the incline or the level of resistance.

4. Stretch immediately after all endurance exercises. In addition to preventing injury, stretching after endurance training increases flexibility.

5. Incorporate strength training into your athletic workout. According to Professor William J. Kraemer at the University of Connecticut, strength training improves athletic stamina.

6. Give your muscles rest. Strength train no more than every other day, or alternate between muscle groups.

7. Take interval training classes with a spinning or aerobics instructor if you're looking for greater variation in your routine.

8. Push yourself through fatigue, but never exercise if your body hurts. Practicing to the point of a repetitive stress injury completely negates all of your hard work and ultimately decreases athletic stamina.

Tips & Warnings

• Talk to your doctor before starting any new athletic program.

• Eat and drink enough, and get plenty of sleep.

• Never exercise if anything hurts. Visit your doctor right away if you experience pain while training.

• Performance-enhancing drugs are illegal in many sports and countries and can harm your body. Talk to your doctor before taking any athletic supplements.

References

• Life Clinic: Improve Your Muscle Strength and Endurance
• "The New York Times": Does Weight Lifting Make a Better Athlete?
• University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center: Exercise to Increase Endurance

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish