It’s human nature to want more from less; unfortunately when it comes to most things in life, we get out what we put in. While that mostly holds true for workouts, there is some wiggle room. There may not be a magic pill replacement for diet and exercise, but there are a number of things you can do to up your body’s fat-burning potential. Find out how to boost your metabolism today with these seven proven tips.
- Cardio and weight training: Starting at about age 25, our metabolic rate slows down and it slows down significantly more for people who are not physically active (5%-10% per decade, versus less than 1% for those who stay active). It’s important that your workout routine consists of a mix of cardio and weight training, which people, especially those looking to lose weight, often overlook. One of the most effective ways to boost your resting metabolic rate is to build muscle as the increase in lean muscle mass will cause your body to burn more calories even when you’re doing absolutely nothing.
- Don’t skip meals: Skipping meals can slow down your metabolism as your body tries to compensate for the lack of energy you’re providing your body.
- Eat right: Eating can have a major impact on metabolism. Egg whites, cinnamon, cayenne, whole grains, lean protein, ginger, tree nuts, avocado, spinach, hemp seeds lentils, peppers, green tea and water have all been shown to effectively help rev up metabolism.
- Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep: Countless studies have shown that getting adequate amounts of sleep is a key to a healthy metabolism.
- De-stress: Acute stress wreaks havoc on your health and that includes slowing down your metabolism (when the levels of the stress hormone cortisol are too high, it dampens your body’s ability to burn fat).
- Eat slowly: Chewing food takes energy; eating slowly also gives your brain more time to register that it’s full, resulting in less calories consumed.
- Intermittent push-ups: A few minutes before you eat, do 10 to 50 push-ups depending your fitness level. Not only does lean muscle burn more fat, but short bursts of exercise have been shown to lead to an afterburn of as much as 300 calories per day.
