What can I do to increase my metabolism? -Rachel from Kansas

Increase metabolism through movement

One metabolism booster is to move. Each time you exercise, even if it’s just for a short period of time, you boost your metabolism not just during the actual workout but for some time afterwards. So, move and move often.

Speed up metabolism by pumping iron 

Another excellent way to speed up your metabolism and increase calorie burning is to do strength training on a regular basis. When muscle is developed, more calories are needed just to sustain it. That means you’ll be burning more calories at-rest just to carry around more muscle. And, it’s denser than fat. So you’ll be smaller with more muscle if you weigh the same as you do now. It’s estimated that for every five years past high school that an individual goes without doing some type of strength training, they’ll lose 3 pounds of muscle. This accounts for why people can eat exactly the same for years and years and gain weight over time. You can stop that gradual weight gain and reverse the trend by just doing some calisthenics and simple dumbbell exercises regularly.

Boost metabolism by changing eating habits

You can also try changing your eating habits. Graze on small foods rather than chowing-down on one or two big meals daily. Although this strategy results in less calorie burning than exercise and strength training, by forcing your body to constantly digest and process food in small amounts you will burn up a few extra calories.

For further information on increasing your metabolism see the following article from TheDietChannel: Jump-Start Your Metabolism: How Diet & Exercise Increases Your Metabolism.

Michele Silence, MA Contributing Expert

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