Metabolism plays a crucial role in how our bodies lose or gain weight. As is common knowledge, the higher a person’s metabolism is, it will be easier for him or her to lose weight and keep the pounds off.
But how exactly does metabolism work? What is the one most effective way for one to speed up their body’s metabolism? It may sound a tad clichéd, but in order to keep your metabolism revving at high speed, you need to build muscle mass.
Hey, I understand if you don’t have endless hours of free time to put into this endeavor. Like most folks, you’re very busy juggling a career and family and trying to keep up with that car, student loan and mortgage payment.
But – if you want to stay healthy and keep weight gain at bay – you must devote at least thirty minutes per day lifting weights or doing cardio – style workouts.
When we get into our thirties, we begin to lose muscle mass. From age 40 onward, there is a risk of muscle atrophy (loss of muscle mass and function known as Sarcopenia) if we don’t maintain muscle mass through regular strength training.
Pump iron
In addition to traditional weightlifting, strength training can be achieved by doing bodyweight exercises (burpees, push-ups, pull-ups, and chin-ups) as well as by doing HITT (high-intensity interval training) and even fast swimming.
To put it into layman’s terms: the higher muscle mass you have, the more calories your body will burn. This may sound like a slice of irony, but in order to lose weight, not only do you need to pump iron, you need to eat more as well.
Eat healthy fats and protein-rich foods
When we say to eat more, we’re not suggesting you chow down on fried foods, pizza, ice cream or other foods that are terrible for your metabolism. No, you should consume higher quantities of healthy fats such as avocados, whole eggs, and salmon as well as protein-rich foods including lean chicken, chickpeas and vegetables.
BMR
When your muscle mass increases, so does your body’s metabolic rate, or BMR.
BMR is calculated by the number of calories your body requires to function each day.
Again, it can’t be stressed enough that your body needs calories to get through each day properly. Extreme dieting and cutting out large numbers of calories can be counterproductive for your body, actually contributing to weight gain!
Nutritionists and dietitians recommend eating a balanced diet of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy dairy products, meats, and fish.
The Bottom Line?
Devoting anywhere from half an hour to an hour each day to strength training will not only keep your metabolism running fast (especially as you age), your body will also be constantly burning calories, even when you’re resting.
