{"id":150686,"date":"2025-06-01T23:44:08","date_gmt":"2025-06-01T23:44:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/150686\/"},"modified":"2025-06-01T23:44:08","modified_gmt":"2025-06-01T23:44:08","slug":"how-to-increase-stamina-according-to-science","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/150686\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Increase Stamina, According to Science"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether you get out of breath running to catch a train or your cardio workout<\/a> has stopped feeling challenging, you may wonder how to increase your stamina (or if it even needs a boost in the first place). \u201cIncreasing your stamina and endurance usually means you\u2019re increasing your cardiorespiratory fitness, or VO\u2082 max,\u201d says Sabrena Jo, Ph.D., director of science and research for the American Council on Exercise. This has benefits that go beyond letting you feel less wiped out doing everyday activities, says Jo. \u201cA large bank of evidence shows that people who have higher cardiorespiratory endurance or aerobic fitness resist chronic disease and have a lower mortality rate.\u201d<\/p>\n

VO\u2082 max is the amount of oxygen your body is able to use when you\u2019re exercising\u2014 the higher the number, the healthier your heart and lungs are. Most of us can improve this number by exercising more, fueling ourselves with healthful foods, and embracing habits that allow our bodies to recover well. <\/p>\n

That may sound like a heavy lift, but your whole body could benefit from your efforts. \u201cOne of the really cool aspects of aerobic fitness is that things that are good for your heart and blood vessels are really good for your brain too,\u201d says Jo. \u201cSo all the things you do to try to improve your stamina also improve your brain health.\u201d Plus, being able to do more feels good physically and emotionally. This month, follow these steps to take your endurance to the next level.<\/p>\n

Have fun and create a plan<\/p>\n

\u201cI think one mistake people make is doing something they don\u2019t enjoy,\u201d says Jo. \u201cThat is probably the quickest way to quit something.\u201d For instance, she says, if you have a goal of increasing your stamina by walking more and yet you hate walking in your neighborhood, it\u2019ll be difficult to muster the motivation to get outside. Before you set your goal, try several activities this week and observe your level of fatigue during each. Then pick one you love and figure out how to add it to your existing routine. For instance, if you\u2019re a morning person and you really enjoy kickboxing, see whether a local gym offers early classes. If you get bored easily and prefer home workouts, check out high-intensity interval classes from a few different instructors on YouTube.<\/p>\n

Amp things up bit by bit <\/p>\n

\u201cNo matter where you\u2019re starting, whether you feel winded after walking up a flight of stairs or you want to run a faster 5K, gradual progression is what\u2019s going to safely and effectively get you where you want to go,\u201d says Jo. She suggests increasing either the time spent doing an activity or the intensity of the activity by about 10% every week until you reach your goal. Say your baseline is walking for 30 minutes\u2014try to extend every walk to 33 minutes this week, 36 minutes next week, and 40 minutes the week after. Or if you wish to focus on speed and you normally walk a mile in 20 minutes, aim to do it in 18 minutes this week, 16 minutes and 12 seconds next week, and 14 minutes and 35 seconds the following week. Jo says a 10% change is helpful because it\u2019s an improvement but not an overreach\u2014your body can tolerate it. \u201cYour body will change and adapt over the four weeks to allow you to actually get to a whole different fitness level by the time you\u2019re done,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Be smart about rest days <\/p>\n

When you pay extra attention to revving up your workouts, recovery time becomes even more important. \u201cThe body uses recovery days to heal and come back stronger,\u201d says Jo. \u201cExercise is a stressor, and the body must adapt and get ready for the next stress you\u2019re going to place on it\u2014if you never take a day of rest, it doesn\u2019t get a chance to do that.\u201d Resting also gives your mind the break it needs to keep you from burning out. Jo recommends taking a recovery day after every day on which you do your chosen activity, but that doesn\u2019t mean sitting on the couch. For a marathoner, rest might be a walk, and for a walker it might be gentle yoga. Being active, even lightly, on off days will keep oxygenated blood flowing to muscles and help joints stay lubricated, she says.<\/p>\n

Tweak your other habits <\/p>\n

First up: the food on your plate. \u201cIf you think about nutrition as fuel for your activity, being low on nutrition quality or quantity could impact how you feel,\u201d says Jo. \u201cIt could affect your energy levels and not only how you feel when you\u2019re doing the activity but also your motivation to get started.\u201d She recommends loading up on vegetables, fruits, lean protein, whole grains, and water. And it probably comes as no surprise that the other big lifestyle habit that can affect your stamina is sleep. Your body needs at least seven hours of high-quality sleep every night to perform at its best.<\/p>\n

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