Metabolism is the process of chemical reactions within a living organism that results in life-sustaining energy. People often talk about their metabolism in terms of how many calories are used for the body to function. Simply breathing burns calories. You are constantly burning calories while you sleep, watch TV and even while you eat. The rate at which the body burns calories is the metabolic rate. People have different metabolic rates based on genes, age, weight, gender, body composition and lifestyle. While some of these factors are out of your control, a few things can be done to increase your metabolic rate.
Step 1
Increase physical activity level. Exercise can help you strengthen and build muscles while reducing body fat. The more lean muscle mass you have, the more calories your body will burn even while at rest. Alternate cardio exercise with a weight training workout every other day. The weight training will build muscle, and the cardio will get your heart pumping; both can increase the metabolism and help burn excess fat.
Step 2
Eat mini-meals and small snacks regularly throughout the day. Food increases the metabolism because it takes energy to break down and digest food. If you eat too much food, the excess calories will outweigh any increase in metabolism. If you go too long without eating, the metabolism will slow and prepare for starvation mode to conserve energy. Small, regular meals will keep the metabolism running without overloading the body with calories.
Step 3
Eat fruits and vegetables. Produce is a natural food source that is high in vitamins. Natural vitamins help improve metabolism, according to Barry Swanson, a food scientist at the Chicago-based Institute of Food Technologists.
Step 4
Drink eight to 10 glasses of water daily. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism released a report on water-induced thermogenesis (thermogenic substances increase metabolic rate). They found that drinking 500 mL of water increased the metabolic rate by 30 percent for about 30 minutes.
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