Do This If You Want To Improve Your Stamina

Whether you're powering through a long workday or putting in time at the gym, having stamina only helps make it easier to manage difficult things. Often confused with endurance, which is limited to strictly physical effort, stamina is defined as the physical or mental ability to sustain a tough effort.

You can build your stamina, and exercise is a great way to do so. The key is to constantly be challenging your body so it doesn't adapt to the workouts over time (via Verywell Fit). Use different repetition counts, weights, distances, or speeds to mix up your workout and keep your muscles paying attention. You can even try decreasing the length of your rest intervals to challenge your body in a new way.

If you want to throw in a different kind of challenge, incorporate isometric exercises, which cause muscles to contract but not lengthen (via Mayo Clinic). Planks and wall sits are good examples of isometric moves.

Stamina doesn't just result from one all-out sweat session in the gym, however. It takes repeated effort, for a recommended duration of 20 minutes or more to build it (via WebMD). Moderate your workouts so you can plan three to five workouts into your week if you're trying to build stamina over the long haul.

On your off days, consider working in some yoga and meditation, which have proven positive effects on breathing, thinking, and stress management (via Healthline). The ability to sustain through stressful moments is a key component of stamina, and meditation can develop mental habits that help.

If you just need a quick boost of energy to give you a jumpstart, there are some things you can try. Caffeine can provide an uplift that will help you tap into your own innate stamina to get through a demanding time. And the herb ashwaganda has been shown to increase energy levels when taken consistently over a period of weeks. Before adding any supplement into your routine, however, it is always a good idea to have a talk with your doctor.