Things That Will Slow Your Metabolism

Your metabolism is a result of both your basal metabolic rate and certain key lifestyle factors. Your basal metabolic rate, or BMR, is the amount of calories your body requires to support its basic vital functions, such as breathing and controlling body temperature. Your BMR is mostly a result of genetic factors that you cannot change. However, your overall metabolism can change based on physical activity and dietary factors. To calculate your BMR, use the online calculator under Resources.

Inactivity

Your activity level is the most significant contributor to your metabolism that you can control. Your daily caloric requirements are determined in large part by the amount of exercise you get each day. By remaining inactive for extended periods of time, your body burns fewer calories, and your metabolism slows down. One of the most effective ways to keep your metabolism busy is to get consistent aerobic exercise.

Body Composition Factors

As muscle burns calories at a greater rate than fat, your metabolism will be higher if you have more lean body mass. Regardless of lean body mass, people with larger bodies in general will have greater caloric needs, and thus faster metabolisms. Men typically have larger bodies, less fat and more muscle than women, so being female can contribute to having a slower metabolism.

Age

Your metabolism tends to slow down naturally with age. Interestingly, age-related metabolism reduction appears to be greatly influenced by inactivity and muscle atrophy due to reduced exercise, rather than just the natural process of aging. You can keep your metabolism high well into your later years by continuing to exercise daily to burn fat and promote muscle growth.

Reduced Caloric Intake

Any time you consume food, your body absorbs the nutrients and carries them to necessary locations in the body, a process that lasts hours after eating. However, if you reduce the amount of calories you consume, or do not eat often enough, your metabolism remains inactive, and your body will become less efficient at processing the calories you consume. You can keep your metabolism high by consuming an adequate number of calories, and eating small, frequent meals.

Illness

Certain illnesses and medical conditions can contribute to a reduced metabolism, which is regulated by thyroid hormones. Hypothyroidism, a condition in which your thyroid gland does not produce enough hormone, can reduce your body's ability to process calories. Metabolic syndrome, an umbrella term for a number of symptoms related to obesity, can result in poor metabolism as well.