Login or Register

Increasing Metabolism Naturally

Jun 14, 2011 | By Christa Miller
Increasing Metabolism Naturally
Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images

Your metabolism is like an engine in your body that's constantly working on your behalf, converting what you eat into fuel for functions like blood circulation, cell repair and even breathing, according to MayoClinic.com. Having a faster metabolism allows you to burn calories at a faster rate. A variety of factors, including your age and your body composition, play a role in your metabolism's speed, but a common misconception is that simple changes such as taking a "metabolism boosting" pill will allow you to lose weight faster. Ignore the hype and stick with methods guaranteed to help you lose weight naturally.

Step 1

Do at least 30 minutes of cardio every day. The more exercise you do the more calories you burn, so set aside 60 minutes for exercise every day for greater results. Burning calories through daily aerobic exercise will help you reach your goal weight and your metabolism may run faster for 12 hours after your workout. Break up the workout into spurts of 10 minutes or more if you can't do a full hour at a time.

Step 2

Pick up the pace with interval training. You may boost your body's fat burning capacity within your muscles when you switch off between moderate- and high-intensity exercise within the same workout, according to "Women's Health" magazine. So, for example, if your preferred form of aerobic exercise is biking, begin your workout by riding up at a casual pace, then alternate between 12 seconds of moderate pace and eight seconds of high-intensity biking bursts that have you huffing and puffing. The next week, do 10 seconds of easy pace for every 10 seconds of high-intensity exercise.

Step 3

Brainstorm ways in which you can be more active. The more active you are, the more calories you burn from day to day. Wash your own car by hand, play outside with your children and start planting a garden to get started on your new active lifestyle.

Step 4

Strength train at least twice per week. The more lean muscle mass you have the more fat calories you burn. Let each strength training session last at least 20 strengthening exercises include weightlifting and body weight exercises such as Pilates.

Step 5

Eat frequent mini-meals. Attempting to cut too many calories -- typically dipping below 1,200 in a day -- may cause your metabolism to slow down as your body attempts to conserve energy for emergency purposes. Eating large meals and then going hours from one meal to the next may also cause an engine slow-down. Let each meal consist of about 400 calories and have a few 250-calorie snacks to add up to your daily total.

Tips and Warnings

  • Having a slow metabolism causing weight gain isn't as common as you might think. Factors that are more likely to cause weight gain include: eating more calories than you need, not getting enough exercise, not sleeping enough, being under stress and taking certain types of medication.Only in rare cases does a medical problem such as an underactive thyroid gland or Cushing's syndrome slow down your metabolism to the point where you gain weight and have trouble losing any. Talk to your doctor if you still believe your weight gain can be attributed to a slow metabolism so she can test you for relevant health problems.

Things You'll Need

  • Comfortable exercise clothing
  • Timer
  • Paper
  • Pencil
  • Calculator

References

Article reviewed by MER Last updated on: Jun 14, 2011

Must see: Photo Galleries

Member Comments