My grandmother, who passed away at the age of 102, came to visit me at the early age of 90. I distinctly remember walking her into a building with several flights of stairs. As we approach the stairs, she looks at me with a smile and says, “I’ll race you!” and she goes up the stairs. I don’t expect all of us to be as agile at the age of 90 if we get to that age. Without knowing it, my grandmother was revving up her metabolism and taking care of some cardio.
Here are five ways to speed up your metabolism:
1. Don’t cut too many calories
If you reduce your calorie intake too much, which would be less than 1,200 to 1,500 calories per day, your body will respond by slowing down your metabolism. Your metabolism can slow down by up to 45%. Also, you will lose lean muscle mass. Lean muscle mass is a calorie burner.
2. Have breakfast
About 50% of overweight people skip breakfast. Your best bet is to eat a high-fiber carbohydrate like oatmeal. Throw in some grapes, fresh or frozen fruit, and ground flaxseeds, and you’ve got a great mix of carbs, good fats, and protein.
3. Eat frequently and drink water
Eating frequently can keep your metabolism going. You should eat between five and six times a day. That doesn’t mean you have to have a meal prepared that often. An apple, banana, or yogurt snack counts as one of those meals. If you allow your body to go without food for more than four hours, your metabolism will slow down. This can cause you to overeat or eat unhealthy options because your body has starved. Stay hydrated and make water your beverage of choice. Drink a lot of water.
4. Interval Training
Interval training is any type of exercise that causes your heart rate to rise briefly followed by rest. This is done several times to raise the heart rate and then lower it again. Some of you may think that interval training is only for athletes. That is not true. Regardless of your fitness level, you can perform a form of interval training by walking or jogging. Listen to your body so you don’t overdo it, and see your doctor to make sure it’s medically clear. For example, when you go for a walk, choose the park bench or telephone pole about 100 yards or less from your starting position and just pick up the pace to the point where you feel the effort has increased and you find yourself huffing and puffing. . Once you cross the finish line, slow down and slow your breathing for two to five minutes. Then do it again. Do this 3-8 times depending on your fitness level and you’ll burn more calories and increase your cardiovascular conditioning.
5. Strength training
Strength training will increase your metabolism because muscles, especially muscles that are worked out, burn more calories. Also include muscular resistance training. Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle to work continuously under fatigue. That is a healthy muscle.
YOUR ACTION PLAN:
Incorporate interval training into your workouts 2-3 times a week and start eating 5-6 times a day. Have healthy snacks available so you don’t find yourself slowing down your metabolism by not eating often enough.