Your metabolism rate is based on several factors, including your age, gender, the amount of muscle versus fat and your activity level. There are a lot of products on the market to quickly increase your metabolism but these programs may be unsafe, expensive and may not be sustainable over a long period of time. Change your lifestyle and naturally kick-start your metabolism with these five methods.
Exercise
The easiest way to increase your metabolism is by exercising. It is recommended that you exercise every day for half an hour. However, this is not always possible with a busy schedule so try and exercise at least three times a week. The earlier you exercise the more chance that you have to burn calories through the day. Try and exercise twice a day if possible with a vigorous workout in the morning followed by a relaxing walk around the block in the afternoon. This way you will continue to burn calories at a higher pace for almost the entire 24 hours.
Weights
It is best to incorporate a cardio workout such as walking, cycling or running with a weights program to increase your metabolism. The more muscle mass you have, the faster your metabolism. Muscle tissue requires more energy than fat tissue so by increasing your muscle tissue, you increase the amount of energy your metabolism has to create each day. Your lean body mass is by far the most important factor of metabolism.
Meal frequency
Studies have indicated that having breakfast will boost your metabolism and provides essential energy for the day. You need to jumpstart your metabolism after it has slowed down while you’re sleeping. Meals ideally should be spread out during the day so instead of eating bigger meals at breakfast, lunch and dinner, eat five or six smaller meals during the day with an emphasis on lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables.
Water retention
Aim for eight glasses of 250ml glasses of water every day. The energy burning process of metabolism needs water to work effectively. As with food, depriving your body of water can encourage it to “store” rather than “burn”. In order to encourage your liver to focus on metabolism rather than water retention, make sure you drink an appropriate amount of water.
Productive sleep
Decreasing your stress levels and getting a proper night’s rest will increase your metabolism. Inadequate sleep may affect the way your body metabolises carbohydrates so that you feel increased hunger while your metabolism slows down. An inconsistent sleep patterns also leaves you tired and fatigued with lower energy levels and may prevent you from a productive exercise routine.
Be wary of any weight loss supplement or programs that claim to increase your metabolism and burn off calories in a short amount of time. An exercise program that uses natural methods over a long term period to help you lose weight and maintain your results.