Increase Your Stamina After 50 With These 5 Bodyweight Exercises

Do you feel like since you turned 50, you no longer do things at the speed of light like you used to? House chores may take longer, and workouts may not be quite as productive. If this sounds all too familiar, what you need is the best bodyweight exercises to increase your stamina after 50, as recommended by an expert.

We spoke with Mike Bohl, MD, MPH, ALM, the Director of Medical Content & Education at Ro and a member of the Eat This, Not That! Medical Expert Board, who tells us, "Stamina is important simply because it lets you do things for longer."

As you grow into your older years, several changes happen with your body, Dr. Bohl explains. For one thing, you lose muscle mass, which can limit your ability to perform routine tasks. In addition, your blood doesn't flow as efficiently, and your heart may lose strength.

According to Dr. Bohl, "Focusing on building stamina can mitigate these effects. This can be important for maintaining the ability to perform activities of daily life, participating in physical activities, and even reducing the risk of injury and falls."

So keep reading to learn how you can increase your stamina after 50, and next up, don't miss 6 Everyday Habits To Increase Your Stamina After 60, Expert Says.

How to increase your cardiovascular stamina through exercise:

Most individuals think of stamina as cardiovascular stamina, "which is how well and for how long the heart and lungs are able to keep the body supplied with oxygen during higher-intensity activity," according to Dr. Bohl.

Jumping Jacks

An effective bodyweight workout to build stamina that you can easily do in or out of the gym is good old-fashioned jumping jacks. To get started, aim to complete three to six sets of 30 to 60 seconds of jumping.

The Best Indoor Cardio Workouts To Increase Stamina as You Age

How to increase your muscular stamina through exercise:

Another stamina is known as muscular stamina. Muscular stamina is the length of time muscles can do a particular task. Dr. Bohl tells us, "Building muscular endurance is done through resistance training at lower weights and higher repetitions. Because of this, bodyweight exercises can be a great way to increase stamina, because you don't need to worry about eventually adding more weight to your workout—you just need to think about adding more repetitions and more time."

The most beneficial course to perform these exercises is complete 12 to 20+ repetitions for every set.

Pushups

mature woman plank pushup — Shutterstock

An excellent bodyweight exercise to build muscular stamina is another old favorite, pushups. Pushups focus on the upper body but also include the contraction of muscles all over your body, helping you build great form. Don't stress over the total pushups you can complete at first. Begin with modified pushups by keeping both knees on the floor.

Lunges and Squats

man performing bodyweight squats — Shutterstock

Lunges and squats are also extraordinary bodyweight exercises that will up your muscle stamina. Both exercises focus on your lower body while requiring you to contract your core in order to stay fit. "These exercises work the large muscles in the legs, which can be helpful for longer walks or climbs in the future," Dr. Bohl says.

Planks

mature woman demonstrating plank exercise at home to increase your stamina after 50 — Shutterstock

The plank is another golden exercise that builds stamina. Dr. Bohl points out, "Unlike the other muscular endurance exercises, you don't move during this exercise." You will hold your plank form for 10 to 30 seconds. Once you improve, try to add a minute or more to your plank.