Metabolic rate is the pace at which your body burns calories. The higher your metabolic rate, the more calories you burn, even when at rest. Increasing your metabolism can help reduce weight or maintain an even, healthy weight as you age, but chemical supplements are not necessary to boost metabolism. With the right combination of eating and exercise habits, you can increase your metabolism naturally.
Strength Training
To boost your metabolism, lift weights. The Ohio State University Extension says that the more muscle mass and less fat you have, the higher your metabolic rate will be. While your base metabolic rate may be inherited and may be negatively affected by a number of physical conditions, you can increase that rate by improving your lean muscle mass and decreasing your percentage of body fat. This means engaging in regular weight-lifting exercises.
The University of Florida Recreational Sports department advises that intense exercise--of either the strength-training or cardiovascular variety--will temporarily result in a metabolism boost, but an increase in resting metabolic rate requires a regular, steady weight-training regimen maintained for several months.
Weight training is particularly important for older adults, because people lose muscle mass as they age, absent regular strength training to counteract this tendency.
Don't Diet
Dieting or skipping meals leads your body to believe it needs to defend against starvation, so your metabolism slows to make up for the lack of food. The Student Nutrition Action Committee at UCLA says that restrictive dieting slows down resting metabolic rate, which is a primary reason why diets don't tend to work over the long haul.
Nurse Laurie Hedlund, writing for Consumer Affairs, recommends always eating a good breakfast, and eating six small, healthy meals through the day to keep metabolism operating in high gear. Include plenty of high-fiber foods including lean protein as well as fruits and vegetables, while limiting sugar, alcohol, fats and caffeine.
Expend Energy
Expending energy through physical activity on a regular basis can lead to an increase in your resting metabolic rate, according to the University of Florida Department of Recreational Sports. This does not necessarily mean engaging in rigorous, scheduled cardiovascular exercise sessions.
The University of Florida recommends daily lifestyle changes to increase metabolism, including parking further away from a store to gain some time walking, taking the stairs instead of an elevator, and walking or biking to work instead of riding in a bus or car. Increasing daily physical activity will also, over time, decrease body fat levels, which in turn also helps naturally boost metabolism.
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