Your metabolism plays a huge role in your weight loss journey. It is just as important as keeping yourself active to burn some extra calories. However, as we age, our metabolism also slows down making it difficult to perform its function.
Fortunately, there are a few exercises that boost metabolism to help you better digest the food you just eat.
Keep reading to learn more tips to enhance metabolism naturally.
What is metabolism?
Ever found someone who barely gains weight even if they consume tons and tons of calories per day? If your answer is yes, you have probably wondered how they can do this even without doing any intense workouts. Believe us when we tell you that it has something to do with their metabolism.
Now, what exactly does metabolism means?
Metabolism refers to the chemical reactions that take place in every living organism. During this stage, the food we consume is processed by the body and used to make energy. Humans measure it in calories because it is the rate at which we burn energy.
But keep in mind that the speed of your metabolism will not determine how much weight you will lose. In fact, slow metabolism doesn’t have anything to do with weight gain. It’s just that once our body has processed everything, the excess energy is just stored as fat in the body. This is mainly the reason that contributes to weight gain.
Three Types of Metabolism
Now that you know what metabolism is, let us talk about its different types.
Essentially, metabolism is classified into three types. These are the Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR), Thermic Effect of Feeding (TEF), and Thermic Effect of Activity (TEA).
RMR refers to the amount of energy that your body needs to keep its functions within normal when you are awake and at rest. RMR uses up to 60 percent of your total calorie needs.
TEF refers to the number of calories that your body needs to eat and digest food. It uses up to 10 percent of your body’s total consumption of calories.
TEA refers to the rate your body burns calories when you are engaged in normal movements or physical activity such as exercise or manual work. TEA accounts for about 30 percent of your calorie needs.
Metabolism is necessary to keep us healthy and trim. But unfortunately, it declines as people age which makes us prone to accumulate weight. This is one of the reasons why we need to engage in activities that help to keep our metabolism working.
Here are four exercises that can help to boost metabolism:
1. Cardio training
Cardio training is one of the most effective methods of maintaining or improving your Resting Metabolic Rate. If you are aiming to increase your stamina, this type of exercise is a great way to start.
According to Very Well Mind, cardio training offers various physical and mental benefits for men and women. Among its benefits includes:
- Improves sleep quality
- burns excess fat and calories
- better lung capacity
- reduces stress, anxiety and depression
- stronger and healthy heart
People who performed moderate cardio exercises for 20 – 45 minutes three to five days per week for 16 months had an increase in their metabolic rate by an average of 129 calories per day.
2. Weight Lifting
If you would like to lose weight, build lean muscles, and increase your metabolism, weight lifting might be a great fit for you.
Weight lifting helps you to consume calories. It improves metabolism because it enhances muscle mass that uses up extra calories later on. Having more muscles means having to use up more calories to sustain them, even if you are not engaged in any physical activity
Beginners can use these tips to get started with this exercise:
- Always begin your exercise by doing warm-up
- Start by lifting lighter weights and gradually increase it
- Don’t forget to take a rest after accomplishing a set
- Make sure not to overwork yourself
3. Interval Cardio Training
Interval cardio training refers to high-intensity exercises that fitness enthusiasts perform alternately with low-intensity workouts to allow a rest or recovery period. It is another effective method of improving your metabolism.
In order to maximize the benefits of interval training on your metabolic functions, do it with a five-minute warm-up followed by alternately doing two-minute moderate-intensity exercises and up to one-minute high-intensity cardio workouts. Do these for 10 – 20 minutes then cool down and relax.
Aside from boosting your metabolism, doing this exercise can also help strengthen the heart and circulatory system. Essentially, the shift between the high and low intensity of the training makes this exercise even more effective.
4. Brisk Walking
Who said that walking couldn’t help improve your metabolic rate? Just so you know, walking is just as helpful as any other physical activity on this list. In fact, it is perfect for those who only have limited free time and want to improve their metabolism.
Brisk walking is another effective calorie burner. A 15 – 20 minute brisk walks done daily can already do enough to aid in burning your calories and stimulate your metabolic function to work.
Another way to use up your calories and enhance your metabolism is to exercise by taking the stairs instead of the elevator. According to a recent study, people who are active and engaged in physical activity can consume 20 percent more calories in one day.
These are some of the simple exercises that can help to boost metabolism. You can do them to optimize your health and control your weight even as you age.
Keep in mind that these exercises are not only about helping you speed up your metabolism, but they also help burn more calories keeping you fit. If you’re already doing any of this exercise, don’t forget to increase its intensity to also increase your body’s ability to burn fat.
Kick your metabolism with these strength trainings! If you want to learn more ways to boost your metabolism and build muscles, don’t forget to check out our exercise blog posts.
