Your Metabolism

Making the Most of your Metabolism

Metabolism -- what is it and why is it so important? Simply put, your metabolism is the total amount of energy your body needs and uses for all its daily activities. The faster your metabolism, the faster you'll burn calories. The more efficiently you burn calories, the easier it is to lose and maintain weight.

Okay, so how can you increase your metabolism?

Exercise. Working out is the best way to raise your metabolism! During activity, your body demands more energy. Therefore, your metabolism is temporarily increased to meet those demands. Cardio activities also help keep your metabolism elevated for several hours afterwards which also increases the number of calories burned.

Strength Train. Strength training helps increase the percentage of lean muscle mass. Building muscle will permanently increase your metabolic rate by helping your body work more efficiently. That means that you'll burn more calories in a shorter amount of time during any activity and at rest. Traditional weight training and Pilates are both great options.

Eat. This may sound contradictory, but it's true - you have to eat (healthy of course)! First of all, always eat breakfast. Eating breakfast helps jump start your metabolism for the day. Secondly, eat five to six smaller meals a day as opposed to a big breakfast, lunch and dinner. This will help your metabolism remain in constant working mode. Finally, no crash dieting! Skipping meals and crash dieting brings your metabolism to a screeching halt. When you greatly restrict calories, your body wants to conserve energy so it slows down your metabolism. This is why many crash dieters will see initial weight loss, but quickly regain the weight.

Unfortunately, there are some factors that you can not control. If you inherited a faster metabolism, you're in luck. If not, you'll need to work just a little harder. Also, your metabolism naturally slows as you age. Most studies report that between the ages of 25 and 30 your metabolism biologically begins to decrease.

But don't be discouraged. Boosting your metabolism isn't difficult. Just follow the simple tips above. You'll be on your way to a faster metabolism in no time!