Basal metabolic rate, or metabolism, plays a role in your weight-loss efforts. No two people have the same metabolism and everyone's metabolism responds differently to exercise. While there are a lot of plans and gimmicks that claim to boost metabolism, regular exercise is a safe and sure-fire way to increase it naturally. Performing pushups can help increase your metabolism and boost your weight loss, especially when you combine them with other types of exercise. For safety, always consult with a physician before starting any new exercise program.
Metabolism and Exercise
Metabolism, or basal metabolic rate, refers to all the physical and chemical processes that convert food into energy which fuels both life-sustaining and everyday activities. This includes breathing, circulation, controlling body temperature, muscle contraction, digestion, elimination, nerve conduction and many other functions. BMR is inherited, but certain factors can change it, including diseases, body weight and lifestyle choices. Being overweight, while not healthy, increases metabolism because the body is working harder to survive. Certain types of exercise can boost BMR, while being sedentary or going on starvation diets can slow it down. Taking steps to boost metabolism naturally may help support your weight-loss efforts.
Causes of Slow Metabolism
Because metabolism is a naturally occurring process, the body tends to adjust to meet individual needs, which means that it is rare for a slow metabolism to be the sole cause of weight gain, reports MayoClinic.com. Weight gain is usually the result of eating too many calories and not getting enough exercise. Diseases such as an underactive thyroid or Cushing's syndrome can slow metabolism and a physician can run tests to determine if you have these conditions. This means when it comes to weight loss, it is important to exercise vigorously enough to not only boost metabolism but even more importantly, burn off extra calories.
Pushups and Metabolism
Pushups, which are considered a strength training or resistance-type exercise, can help to speed metabolism. Muscle requires more energy to survive than fat does, even when the body is at rest. Having stronger muscles means your body burns more calories throughout the day. In addition, if a strength training workout is intense enough by working the muscles to fatigue, your body will continue to burn off calories for hours after you finish your workout. Pushups are a good option for strength training the upper body, as they target the chest, triceps, biceps and shoulder muscles. There are many variations on pushups that can increase the intensity of the exercise.
Pushups and Weight Loss
While pushups can provide a good upper body workout, they are a repetitive motion which if done too much, can lead to injury. When it comes to strength training, to prevent injury, a general guideline is to start off with one to two sets of 12 to 15 repetitions per muscle group, which at the most would be 30 pushups. Since everyone responds differently to exercise, there is no general information as to how many pushups you will need to speed your BMR up. Each individual's body weight, age and intensity of the pushup workout, would need to be factored in. However, doing pushups alone, most likely will not be enough to significantly speed up BMR. To really boost metabolism, the American Council on Exercise suggests combining pushups with aerobic-type activities, such as walking, biking, swimming and dancing.
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