How to Increase Stamina: Diet and Fitness Tips

The increase in exhaustion with little physical activity and lethargy even after getting the eight hour sleep means that you are having a drastic decrease in stamina. Generally, prolonged periods of sedentary lifestyle can be a cause of losing stamina. That is because the body is not used to doing long periods of strenuous tasks like walking or lifting heavy. There are, however, some people that are unable to keep up a balanced and nutritious diet necessary for stamina.

Stamina goes hand in hand with bodily strength and allows the muscles to work for longer periods without having a drop in blood flow or oxygen. Hence, in order to have better stamina, the overall strength of the body in terms of muscular endurance and lung capacity shall also be worked on. This means that a person cannot entirely rely on just food for stamina and energy. Your body will only produce the amount of energy that you demand from it on a daily basis. So, if you’re eating a nutrient rich diet and utilising it everyday to workout rigorously, your lungs, heart, and muscles will adapt to generating a high level of energy. This will slowly increase your stamina and ensure that you’re not feeling half dead after an energetic workout. Here is all the fitness and food that you need to combine for lasting stamina-

Diet for improving stamina

When ‘you are what you eat’, eating comfort foods all the time and living on fluffy breads and creamy treats will make you seek comfort all the time. When your body wants comfort all the time, it will never function at its full potential. So, add foods to your diet that slowly burn into pure energy in your belly. Here are some healthy options-

They are called the ‘feel good fruit’ or ‘happy fruit’ for a reason. Bananas have a good amount of fat free energy and have no cholesterol for all the calories it packs. The healthy calories in bananas give long lasting energy while also helping you metabolise amino acids that are stored in the body fat. They give a good level of potassium to the body which helps the muscles and nerves function properly. They also regulate blood flow in the body to ensure proper flow of oxygen in the body. Having bananas before workouts will give you higher endurance and long lasting energy.

2. Brown rice
Rice is certainly a staple for many in the country and lunch isn’t really complete without it. However, many can’t resist the urge for the curry rice nap in the afternoons. Rice spikes up the glucose suddenly, which goes down in a matter of minutes, making the body feel lethargic. The regular white rice that we eat digests very quickly, spiking the glucose faster. Brown rice, however, is less refined than white rice and takes longer to digest. It releases glucose in the body slowly, which keeps giving you constant slow burning energy. Brown also has a lot of nutrients like iron, phosphorus and selenium that white rice lacks.

3. Coffee
Coffee is becoming the favourite pre-workout drink for workout enthusiasts. Caffeine is the best way to raise your energy levels. If you don’t have heart or blood related issues, you can continue a habit of starting your day with a coffee and have a maximum of three cups a day. Caffeine improves your mood, improves blood flow and increases energy levels. Try to have black coffee instead of creamy cappuccinos and you’ll get stamina to continue your daily workout plan without calories.

4. Eggs and chicken
Protein is the best form of fuel source for the body. It burns out the carbohydrates while getting digested and takes ample time to digest, so that you have a slow and constant flow of energy through your body. While there are numerous foods to add protein to your diet, the cleanest sources with the least amount of calories come from poultry and eggs. Eggs, chicken and turkey are the healthiest options to include protein in your diet. Eggs also contain Vitamin B which improves the gut’s ability to break down food. The best thing is that chicken and eggs go with almost any recipe and can be boiled or roasted if you don’t want to add any spices or fattening sauces to your food.

5. Beans
Properly cooked or sprouted beans are the best way to increase stamina if you are a vegetarian or want to skip non-veg for a few days for gut health. Beans like black eyed peas, kidney beans, pinto beans, moong beans, etc. are high in magnesium which improve the quality of your sleep and give you a boost of stamina for daily tasks. They also have a good quantity of iron, fibre, and folic acids to improve blood circulation and fat burning in the body. The slowly digested starch in the beans give a steady flow of energy for the go.

Exercise

Moving your body regularly, whether it be a dance fitness routine or an hour of brisk walking, is the best way to create the demand for energy and stamina in your body. If you’re not addicted to smoking, beers, cola, or cheeseburgers, you can increase your stamina with the following exercises-

Walking and running

We took a lot of time evolving to walk, removing that from the body’s routine is a mistake some make. Walking and running are the most important movements that regulate the functions of the body. Walking briskly and including short sprints in your walk can improve stamina gradually and strengthen your cardiovascular health.

Body weight exercises

Everyone should be able to lift their body weight on all their limbs effortlessly. If you can do that for more than 30 minutes, your stamina is at a peak level. Here are some exercises that can increase stamina and endurance-

• Push ups
• Planks
• Squats
• Jumping jacks
• Pull ups

These exercises require zero equipment, except pull ups which require a hanging bar. They make your body balanced and prevent you from getting tired while pulling your own weight, whether it is walking on the road or rocking on the bed. 

With all the diet and fitness tips for stamina, it is essential to start at the beginning level even if you have been capable in the past. It prevents you from getting sick from gut issues and sustaining injuries while working out. Always start with adding a smaller amount of beans or raw veggies to your food and increase it over time. As with exercise, if running is your go to movement, start with mastering fast walks, once you find no effort is required for that, dash into a sprint. To improve the bodily functions that maintain and improve stamina, try a herbal supplement that has no side effects. Qraamen Dynamo Power Syrup can be your mate with its combination of shilajit, white musli and ashwagandha. It provides endurance, regenerative sleep and strength.