3 Tips To Increase Stamina and Reach Your Fitness Goals

When you are trying to reach your optimal fitness levels, there are several factors you need to focus on including speed, flexibility and strength. However, the fitness factor that many struggle with is endurance or stamina. This may be the key component that you need to focus on as endurance can include and affect all other aspects of physical fitness. There are multiple ways that you can pursue greater levels of endurance.

Feed the Body Well

When trying to reach a fitness goal, it is important to remember that not all beneficial factors take place in the gym. Your body cannot perform at its peak if you are not fueling it correctly. An essential element of fitness begins with what you put into your body. 

Adopting a healthy diet is a given. Begin by cutting out white sugar, simple carbs and as much processed food as possible. Incorporate a lot more vegetables and fruits into your diet. Take your hydration needs seriously as well, making sure that you always consume a minimum of 64 ounces of water a day and more than that when you are working out. It can be helpful to use electrolyte supplements too. Many premade electrolyte supplements on the market have a ton of very unhealthy additives, so it is better to make your own or purchase a healthy electrolyte supplement rather than using the heavily sugared and artificially colored commercial options. 

You can also maximize your diet with high-quality vitamins, minerals and other supplements. If you choose to supplement it is essential to buy from a trusted company such as USANA. Their supplements can help you optimize your health and so support you in your training goals. USANA Europe maintains an extensive website that can be a very valuable resource for those pursuing fitness goals. 

Embrace Change

Your fitness routine will depend largely on your fitness goals. If you are training to run a marathon your routine will be significantly different than if you are training for an Ironman competition or a competitive climb. What stays the same is the fact that making changes in your workout is the key to building stamina.

Whatever your routine is, find ways to alter it regularly. Change the intensity or the duration. Go harder for shorter periods of time some days while you take it easier for longer periods of time on others. Find ways to change up the same workout. If you are a runner, add running hills or stairs to your routine on occasion. If you hit a plateau, change is the key to breaking it. Increase your intensity, duration or volume to continue to challenge yourself. Doing the same workout but decreasing the rest periods between sets can also build endurance. The body is amazingly adaptive, you need to change your routine regularly to continue to engage the body and reach your goals.

Be Active Beyond Your Workout

Keep your body engaged between workouts by making movement a part of your recreation as well. Dancing is an awesome group activity and it will build cardiovascular endurance. Getting involved in a sports team at work or your local community center is a great way to blend physical activity and social interaction. Do remember that rest and recovery is essential to fitness, so if you do decide to include fun physical activity in your life, you might want to consider letting that activity replace one of your workouts for the week.

To reach a higher level of endurance, it is important to understand that not all components of fitness take place in the gym. You need to nourish your body with good food and quality supplements. And you might consider making your physical fitness a part of your social life as well. When it comes to your actual workout, continually making changes to your routine will engage different areas of the body and continue to challenge you. 

Mikkie Mills

Mikkie is a freelance writer from Chicago. She is also a mother of two who loves sharing her ideas on interior design, budgeting hacks, and DIY. When she’s not writing, she’s chasing the little ones or rock climbing at the local climbing gym.