If you wish to naturally boost metabolism, you should make small and healthy changes to your diet. Fasting or following fad diets can cause your body to go into conservation mode and slow down your metabolic rate, according to registered dietician Samantha Heller, featured on the Today Show website. If you suspect a medical problem such as thyroid disease may affecting your metabolism, consult your doctor.
Strength Training
Adding some resistance to your workouts can give your metabolism a natural boost. By reducing fat and increasing muscle mass, you are increasing the number of calories that your body burns even while the muscles are at rest, according to the Mayo Clinic. The Discovery Health website cites studies done by the American Council on Exercise showing that a pound of muscle burns 35 to 50 calories per day while a similar amount of fat only burns two to three calories daily.
Work out with hand weights, pull-up bars, chest presses and workout bands at least two to three times per week. This will boost your metabolic rate by approximately seven percent, according to Dr. Wayne L. Westcott, fitness research director at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts and featured on the Good Housekeeping website.
Daily Breakfast
Eating the first meal of the day can jump-start your metabolism naturally, states dietitian Samantha Heller. If you are trying to lose weight, choose a healthy option like whole grain cereal with skim milk, a cup of fresh fruit, low fat yogurt with granola or whole grain toast with low-fat peanut butter. According to a study published in the February 2010 issue of Harvard Men's Health Watch, skipping breakfast was associated with a fourfold increase of levels of obesity.
Interval Training
According to Dr. Martin Gibala an exercise physiologist at McMaster University and quoted on the Good Housekeeping website, short bursts of aerobic exercise can help you increase your metabolism. For instance, during a brisk walk, add in short intervals of jogging or sprinting. As you get accustomed to the intervals, you can increase the time and intensity of each burst. For each minute of the baseline exercise, work in 20 to 30 second intervals of high intensity aerobic activity.
References
- Today Show: 7 ways to boost your metabolism
- MayoClinic.com: Metabolism
- Good Housekeeping: Boost Metabolism and Prevent Middle-Age Weight Gain
- MayoClinic.com: Metabolism and Weight Loss
- Harvard Health Publications: Weight loss and breakfast : Breakfast benefits health and can aid in weight loss
- Discovery Health: Lean Muscle vs. Fat
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