Improving Metabolic Rate Through Exercise & Working Out

If you are among the many people in the world who are overweight, you have undoubtedly searched for a way to lose those extra pounds for good. There are all types of suggestions on the market that include eating certain foods or performing various exercises in order to achieve the ideal weight or body shape. Unfortunately, these are not always effective and have left many feeling discouraged.

Calories-In VS. Calories-Out

The only way to lose weight is by burning more calories than you consume each day. This involves selecting the right foods to eat and becoming more active. One problem that many people who are overweight experience is a sluggish metabolism. This issue must be resolved in order for your weight loss efforts to be successful.

The word metabolism refers to a variety of bodily functions at the cellular level. What is most important about these operations for most people to understand is that they are the basis for how rapidly the body burns calories. You must improve your metabolic rate in order to use the foods you eat effectively and to shed those unwanted pounds.

“Your metabolism is the true indicator of your overall dieting and fitness success. You really need to keep your engine running hot in order to burn the most amount of calories each day.” – ShapeFit.com

There are a variety of things that can influence how your metabolism is working, including your age and gender. After the age of 40, it is natural for your metabolism to slow down. In general, men burn calories faster than women. While you cannot control these and some other things that influence your metabolism, there are those that you can.

Exercise

One of the biggest changes you can make to your lifestyle that will improve your metabolism is exercise. While many people think about sweating away their extra fat cells during prolonged hours at the gym, this is actually an incomplete picture. When you exercise, you do raise your metabolic rate. However, these positive effects last beyond the time that you are actually engaged in exercise.

How long these additional benefits last depends upon several things, including the intensity of the workout and your general health. However, these extra few hours of more effective calorie burning can really add up over time. This is why it is important that you find ways to keep your metabolic rate as high as possible.

You should begin by planning four to six aerobic exercise sessions each week. These should last anywhere from 20 minutes to a couple of hours, depending on your current level of health and the activity itself. Make certain to monitor your pulse so that you do not work outside of your target zone.

In order to complement these efforts and keep your metabolism ramped up throughout the rest of the day, you may want to incorporate some mini-workouts into your routine. Taking five or ten minutes to increase your heart rate at various points during the day will achieve this goal.

“That’s easy. Your heart’s a muscle; you can strengthen it. It’s a use-it-or-lose-it muscle so if you don’t do cardiovascular exercise, you’ll lose the hearts functional ability.” HowToBeFit.com

Because each provides a small boost to your metabolism, if you do them often enough, you will burn more calories than normal practically all day.

Consider doing simple things that can fit into your existing schedule. For example, you may want to take the stairs instead an elevator or park your car further away from building entrances.

On your breaks at work, go for a short brisk walk. You can also do this after meals. When watching your favorite television shows, jump rope during the commercial breaks.

Try to vary the types of exercise that you do for your aerobic activities so that you do not become bored with your routine. Continue to search for quick exercise ideas that you can do instead of snacking. Remember that the more often you perform some type of workout that gets your heart rate up the better your metabolism will function.