Exercise is one of the best ways to make yourself feel better, but you also need the energy levels to do it. Here are some simple steps to take.
1. Make sure you exercise
It may seem counterintuitive, but exercising more when you are low on energy or stamina could actually help in the long term. A study in 2017 found that regular exercise had a positive impact on fatigue, while another suggested prescribing it to older adults to improve their stamina.
2. Mix it up
If you are looking to improve your stamina in one area or sport, your instinct might be to focus solely on that. But research has found that a mixture of different activities could provide the greatest benefit – one study, for example, suggested a mixture of strength and aerobic exercise. Circuit training has also been found to improve endurance.
3. Try to branch out
The obvious stamina-boosting exercises, such as running or weight-training, are all very well, but you may also benefit from trying less conventional exercises. Yoga, for example, may have a significant benefit to endurance levels – yet another reason to branch out from the same boring daily run.
4. What you eat can help
It’s not all about exercise – small amounts of caffeine have been to shown to improve the sprint performance of elite athletes. Ginseng and ashwagandha root extract also help improve stamina, while complex carbohydrates and proteins are often recommended by dietitians to those hoping to boost their endurance.
5. Avoid false food prophets
Not all foodstuffs are created equal, however, and some of those promising tantalising benefits to your stamina may not be all they are cracked up to be. There are claims, for example, that energy drinks may improve performance, but research suggests they have very little therapeutic benefit. Probiotic supplements, which are often promised to boost stamina, were also found to have no discernible impact.