If you find yourself out of breath when walking up the stairs or getting tired during your workouts, you may need to work on your stamina—the ability to exert yourself and remain active for an extended period. Improved endurance will also enhance your ability to resist, withstand, and recover from injury and fatigue. You can perform various bodyweight exercises to increase stamina, including burpees, mountain climbers, high knees, jumping jacks, and squats.
Most of these exercises are cardiovascular exercises that will help you build stamina and endurance by pumping oxygen into your body, strengthening your heart and lungs, and improving your circulation. Increased oxygen supply to your muscles will make you more active and mobile by reducing shortness of breath. It can also significantly improve your quality of life by increasing energy levels, boosting mood, reducing stress, and promoting better sleep.
Cardiovascular endurance has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer, stroke, and obesity. Improving cardiovascular endurance will help strengthen your heart, lungs, muscles, and bones. Aerobic exercise and a healthy diet can also help you lose weight and keep it off. If you exercise regularly, you will be less likely to contract viral illnesses such as colds and flu.
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommends at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate cardio exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week. Still, incorporating any cardio into your routine can provide tremendous benefits. Need some motivation to get your body moving? Check out these 12 bodyweight exercises to boost your stamina.
12 Bodyweight Exercises To Increase Stamina
Choose five exercises from the list below and perform them for 20 minutes two or three times per week, with at least 48 hours between workouts.
1. High Knee
The high knees exercise is a great full-body exercise that raises your heart rate, warms your lower and upper body muscles, and prepares you for more complex movements.
High Knee Instructions:
Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides. Lift your right knee as high as possible and raise your opposite arm, then quickly switch so your left knee is up before your right foot lands. Continue alternating your right and left leg for the desired number of reps.
2. Jumping Jacks
The jumping jack is an effective way to warm up your muscles before a workout. It also improves endurance, increases the body’s metabolic rate, and helps with weight loss.
Jumping Jacks Instructions:
Stand up straight, feet together, and hands by your sides. Jump into the air, spreading your legs shoulder-width apart and extending your arms above your head. Return to the starting position by jumping once more. Repeats.
3. Burpees
They are one of the most beneficial full-body exercises because they work all your major muscles in one killer move. A standard burpee strengthens the muscles in your chest, shoulders, arms, legs, hips, buttocks, and core while also raising your heart rate, making it an effective cardio exercise. If performed regularly, they can help you burn belly fat faster than any other exercise or diet. High-intensity exercises like burpees have been found in several studies to burn more fat than strength training.
Burpee Instructions:
Begin in a standing position. Move into a squat position with your hands on the ground, your feet about shoulder-width apart, and your back straight. Kick your feet back, putting your hands and toes in a pushup position. Immediately return your feet to the squat position. Stand up and extend your arms above your head. Jump into the air quickly; as soon as you land with your knees bent, squat and repeat.
4. Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers are excellent for building cardiovascular endurance, core strength, flexibility, and agility. They engage several muscles simultaneously, giving you a total-body workout with just one exercise. As you perform the move, your arms, shoulders, and chest work to stabilize your upper body while your core stabilizes the rest of your body.
Mountain Climbers Instructions:
Start in a push-up position, keeping your body straight and your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Bring one knee as close to your chest as possible, then quickly alternate between your legs. Continue alternating as you inhale and exhale with each leg change.
5. Skaters
The skaters are a great cardiovascular exercise that works your glutes, hips, outer thigh, calves, and core while increasing your heart rate and improving coordination and balance.
Skaters Instructions:
Start standing with your feet hip-width apart. Lean slightly forward and jump to the right, landing on your right foot and bringing your left leg behind your body and your left arm in front of you. Jump back to the left, landing on your left foot and getting the right foot behind your body and your right arm in front of you. Repeat.
6. Burpee With Push Up
This burpee variation primarily targets the chest and shoulders but also engages the calves, quads, triceps, forearms, and lower back to a lesser degree.
Burpee With Push-Up Instructions
Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart. Squat and place your hands on the floor before kicking your feet backward into a push-up position. Perform one push-up. Return to the squat position and jump into the air, extending your arms above your head. As soon as you land with your knees bent, squat and repeat.
7. Push-Up Jacks
Push Up Jacks is full-body exercise that works your arms, shoulders, chest, back, and core. It is also an excellent way to put your cardiovascular system to the test. The jumping of the feet during the push-up raises your heart rate and causes your blood to pump faster. Push-Up Jacks can be very challenging for your upper body and should only be tried once you have mastered the basic push-up.
Push-Up Jacks Instructions:
Begin in a push-up position with your arms shoulder-width apart, shoulders over your wrists, feet together, and body in a straight line. Lower to a push-up while jumping your feet wide. Maintain a tight core and a straight back. Return to the starting position by jumping your feet back together and straightening your arms. Repeat.
8. In Out Squats
Developing lower body power strength and coordination are just a few benefits of incorporating in-out squats into your workout routine. This functional exercise strengthens your body, increases calorie burn, prevents injuries, and improves your balance and posture when done correctly. The movement targets the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves.
In-Out Squats Instructions:
Stand with your feet together and your hands on your thighs. Bend your legs and jump into the air, separating your feet in mid-air. Land in a sumo squat position with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees until your upper legs are parallel with the floor, keeping your back at a 45- to 90-degree angle to your hips. Jump out of the squat and return to the starting position. Repeat.
9. Jump Squats
It is one of the most effective exercises that can be performed with no equipment and only your body weight. While regular squats are beneficial, squat jumps will help you build muscle and strength in your lower body, burn calories and fat, boost aerobic and cardiovascular fitness, improve mobility and balance, and tone your buttocks and legs. This exercise targets the glutes, quads, hamstrings, hips, abdominals, and lower back while also increasing your heart rate.
Jump Squats Instructions:
Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your back straight. Squat down till your thighs are barely above your knees. Drive through the balls of your feet to push yourself upward, so your feet lift off the ground. Land softly on the balls of your feet with your knees bent. Return to a traditional squat position. Repeat as many times as you need.
10. Step Lateral Bound
The lateral bound is a cardiovascular, calisthenics, and plyometrics exercise that primarily targets the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, outer thighs, calves, and core.
Step Lateral Bound Instructions:
Stand on your right leg, jump to the left side, and land on your left foot. When you land on your left foot, immediately jump back to your right foot. Repeat for the desired number of times.
11. Cross Body Punch To Knee Tuck
The cross-body punch to knee tuck is an excellent exercise for building cardiovascular endurance, core strength, flexibility, and agility. It engages several muscles simultaneously, giving you a total-body workout with just one movement.
Cross Body Punch To Knee Tuck Instructions:
Stand with your legs hip-width apart and your hands in a fist at chest level. Punch to the right with your left hand and alternate with your right hand, punching to the left side. Raise your left knee towards your chest, lower it and repeat with your right knee.
12. Toe Touch Jump Squats
This plyometric exercise works the glutes, quadriceps, hips, hamstrings, arms, and shoulders. It raises your heart rate and burns more calories than running. When you do a toe touch jump squat, you will engage multiple muscles and burn extra calories from the cardio movement. You will burn about 100 calories by performing three sets of ten squats with a 30-second rest.
Toe Touch Jump Squats Instructions:
Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees and squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Pushing through the heels, jump straight up. Once you land with your knees slightly bent, squat again and touch your left foot with the right arm. In the next rep, touch the right foot with the left arm and keep alternating.
