Metabolism– You hear it everywhere, but have you ever looked at this fitness catchword in detail? Today, it is so commonly used that we tend to forget the basics, therefore, leaving some gems of information around. Starting from scratch we should see this:
- What Is It
- How to Work With It and Most Importantly
- How Do We Benefit From This
What is This?
Metabolism – At its most basic level, metabolism is the process your body uses to burn the food energy you provide. It can also describe the rate or speed at which your body performs this process. Many different things are metabolized in the food we consume but for this article, we will mainly focus on food energy or the calories themselves.
How Can I Work With It?
Since we now know what it is and how it basically works, it’s clear that we want to find ways to accelerate it naturally. This can be done in various ways. Some are good and some are not so good. Let’s start off well:
Increasing Lean Muscle Mass
This is the first and probably the most obvious way to build a more creative metabolism. It is natural that the more muscles we have, the more calories we will burn… even at rest! Muscle takes energy to make it work but fat just sits there, not. Try moderate resistance training to start.
Engaging in Aerobic Exercise
Aerobics are great! This will ensure that your body fat will be reduced while at the same time your lean muscle mass will increase. Your metabolism will remain higher for some time, and work more efficiently, even after you’ve finished exercising. Then you’ll burn more calories no matter what you’re doing…working, driving, even watching TV!
Make Sure to Eat
Yes, that’s right, eat it! Also, make sure you avoid crash diets where you starve yourself. Limiting your calories too much will result in a loss of lean muscle tissue, which will slow your metabolism. And we don’t want that! Also, be sure to spread your meals evenly throughout the day. Smaller, more frequent meals are generally considered better. Make at least four attempts. That way, your body won’t think it’s starving itself and won’t be likely to store food as fat. Usually, this happens when you eat only two or three meals a day.
Negative Things
Although these things work, they are not considered favorable due to some side effects as described above. These are things like smoking. While they work to some extent, they provide more negatives than positives. If you want an extra ‘push’ I would consider taking some time to research food supplements. They can give you more edge and 95% of them are good for you.
How Does This Benefit Me?
Well, you’ll look and feel much better besides burning more calories at rest. You will also be able to eat more and you will enjoy a more fulfilling life. Plus, people who exercise regularly are less likely to lose muscle mass as they age and won’t need to worry as much about ‘putting the beef…’ Try these techniques, They can work for you!
References
- National Library of Medicine(n.d) Weight Loss and Maintenance Strategies Available online: