How to Boost Your Metabolism With Exercise
Your metabolism includes all the things your body does to turn food into energy and keep you going. Some people have a faster metabolism than others.
Some things that affect whether your metabolism is speedy or sluggish include things you don't control, like your age, sex, and genes. Sometimes a sluggish thyroid could decrease your metabolism. But once you find out that it is normal, speeding it up is up to you. Focus on what really does make a difference: exercise.
Muscle cells need a lot of energy, which means they burn a lot of calories. In fact, they burn more calories than fat cells, even when you're not exercising. So the time you spend working out reaps benefits long after you stop sweating.
Exercise becomes even more important as you get older. You naturally lose muscle mass with age, which slows down your metabolism. Working out can stop that slide.
It's simple. You need to challenge your muscles often in these two ways:
1. Amp up your workout. Any kind of aerobic exercise, whether you're running or doing Zumba, burns calories. Make it more intense, and your body will burn more calories.
Try intervals. You can do them with any type of cardio. The basic idea is to switch back and forth between higher and lower intensity. You make it really challenging, and then back down your pace, and repeat.
For example, do as many jumping jacks as you can for 1 minute, and then walk in place for 2 minutes. Repeat for 15 minutes.
2. Lift weights. Because muscle uses more calories than fat, strengthening your muscles will make you into a more efficient calorie-burning machine, even when you're at rest.
Twice a week, do one or two sets of 12 to 15 repetitions on each major muscle group (abs, biceps, glutes, quads).
You'll be doing more than just helping your metabolism. Your heart, bones, and even your mood will benefit. It's a win all around.
Your Personal Fitness Schedule
Want to work more fitness into your busy life? Print this simple chart to help you get a sense of your current fitness level. Aerobic exercise is designed to improve the heart and lungs of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Muscle strengthening is important, especially as we age, to prevent loss of muscle bulk and strength, and overall fitness.
The chart records both aerobic activity and muscle-strengthening exercises. Both are crucial for good health. Aerobic activity can help control weight and can lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and many other conditions. Muscle-strengthening exercises are important for the same reasons but will also boost your metabolism.
Every day, jot down the number of minutes you spent doing aerobic exercise along with any muscle-building activities you did. With strengthening exercise, it’s important to write down the number of repetitions you completed also to show progress. However, the number of repetitions is not as important as the ability to perform the exercise correctly and safely without pain. At the end of the week, see how your totals compare to what’s recommended by the CDC for a healthy adult.
Exercise routines, like all routines, can be modified for variety to keep it interesting as you build this healthy habit.
0 Comments