Every runner wants to be able to run longer and faster. If you’re just starting out, increasing speed or duration can seem almost impossible. However, with a little consistency and a few tips you can learn how to increase stamina for running!
How to Increase Stamina for Running
Be Consistent
The very first thing you need to do if you want to increase your stamina is run! It might seem obvious, but the best way to get better at something is to do it a lot! When you start running, start just 2-3 times a week for a short amount of time. Gradually increase the duration and frequency of your running sessions until you’re running as fast and far as you want.
Shake Up Your Workouts
Running is really hard on your body, especially if you’re not super used to doing it! In order to strengthen your muscles effectively, shake up your workouts with some strength training and other types of cardio workouts!
Strengthening your muscles with weightlifting can help you run faster. But, if you want to keep up your heart-healthy exercises, you can swap out your usual jog for a spinning class, aerobics class, swim session, or outdoor bike ride.
Eat Healthy Foods
Fueling your body is super important for increasing your stamina. If your body isn’t fueled properly, you won’t be able to run faster or further. Running on an empty stomach can lead to sluggish workouts and slow performance! If you’re running a lot, you might be feeling a lot more hungry than usual. Usually your body just needs time to adjust. If you find yourself still hungry all the time, you might need to start eating more!
Eat lean proteins, veggies, fruit, and lots of whole grains! Make sure that you’re getting enough water throughout the day as well.
Take Supplements
If you’re looking to boost your workout, look for a natural pre-workout supplement that can help boost their exercise performance.
L-arginine is a natural amino acid that can help improve your exercise endurance and can help increase stamina for running. L-arginine helps your body produce nitric oxide, which is a signaling molecule that helps open up your blood vessels. When your blood vessels dilate, your blood can deliver oxygen to your muscles more quickly! That means you can run further and faster than normal!
A 2014 study explained, “Acute dietary supplementation with 1.5 g · 10 kg-1 (body weight) of arginine did not change the oxygen consumption during maximal incremental exercise and did not change lactate concentration and heart rate during exercise and post-exercise recovery in elite male wrestlers. However, it caused a 5.8% increase in time to exhaustion during maximal incremental exercise. Due to the nature of maximal incremental exercise, even a relatively small change in time to exhaustion is likely to be meaningful for athletic performance.”
Circulation Boost is an all-natural l-arginine supplement that comes in an easy-to-use powdered drink mix. Just pour one scoop in a glass of water, stir, and drink. Circulation Boost is the best l-arginine supplement around, with 5110 mg of l-arginine per serving! It also comes in a great berry flavor that tastes great by itself and in a smoothie!