12 Quick Tips to Boost Your Metabolism

There are a lot of people who would give a lot to increase their metabolism. Having a high metabolism enables one to maintain burn fat and lose weight fast with the least amount of activity. Metabolism is the rate by which the body produces and consumes energy and calories to support life.

There are several factors that affect the metabolism, such as the amount of muscle tissue, the frequency of the meals one consumes, genetics, stress levels, personal diet and activity levels.

Metabolism slows down due to the following factors: loss of muscle because of not enough physical activity, the tendency of the body to cannibalize its own tissue because there is not enough food energy to sustain it, and the decrease of physical activity that often occurs with old age.

Here are several ways to fire up your metabolism:

Strength Training Circuit-2 (Photo credit: Phil Manker)

1. Build lean, mean body mass. There is a slight decline in metabolism with age, but it is possible to counter the effects. The amount of muscle a person has is a very strong determinant in the ability to burn calories and shed fat. So it goes without saying that exercise is essential. Build strength and resistance by working out at least twice a week, preferably with weights. Do easy exercises in between workouts. Simple tasks such as walking the dog and using the stairs in place of the elevator can already take off calories. The key is to match the amount of eating to the amount of activity one has. Here are some guidelines in getting the right exercise:

For strength training

-Increase the amount of repetitions of a particular exercise.
-Up the level of resistance
-Utilize advanced exercise techniques if possible

For cardiovascular training

-Insert intervals between exercises
-Perform cross-training and combine the exercises
-Increase resistance and/or speed

2. Eat breakfast. A lot of people ignore the fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It may seem counter-intuitive, but those who eat breakfast are usually thinner than the ones who do not. Metabolism can slow down considerably if breakfast is taken during late morning or if one waits until the afternoon to eat, as your body starts to go into starvation mode and conserve calories.

3. Avoid sugar. Avoid sugar. Avoid sugar. (This one is so important I had to repeat it three times!) Sugar enables the body to store fat. For best results you should consume only food that helps sustain an even level of blood-sugar. Additionally, regular exercise at least 2-3 times a week helps stabilize blood sugar levels.

4. Eat spicy foods. Hot cuisine with peppers can increase metabolism.

5. Sleep more. According to research, people who do not get enough sleep are much more likely to gain weight. Also, muscles are regenerated during the last couple of hours of slumber, so if you're short on sleep your muscle mass may start to decline.

6. Increase water intake. Water flushes out toxins that are produced whenever the body burns fat. The majority of bodily functions involve water, and lack of water causes the body systems to slow down, and produces unneeded stress as a result.

7. Eat smaller meals. It is advisable to consume 4 to 6 small meals per day that are timed 2 to 3 hours apart. This keeps your body from going into "starvation mode," as it sees there is plenty of food available, so there is no need to store fat.

8. Never skip meals. People tend to skip meals in order to lose weight, which is a big mistake since it slows down metabolism. (See # 7 above.)

9. Plan meals in detail. Always prepare the right amount of food to be consumed at the designated intervals. Do not commit the mistake of eating meals in sporadic patterns. (See #7 above.)

10. Ditch the stress! Stress, be it physical or emotional, triggers the release of a steroid called cortisol, which decreases metabolism and increases fat storage. Also, people tend to eat excessively when stressed.

green tea (Photo credit: vordichtung)

11. Guzzle that green tea. It can be used as a substitute for coffee. Tea has the ability to stimulate metabolism, and unlike coffee, it has no undesirable side effects when too much is consumed. It is absorbed more evenly into the body, so you won't get the jitters like with coffee.

12. Include more energy foods in the diet, such as fruits and vegetables, beans and whole grains. Whole foods contain complete complexes of nutrients that the body needs to function optimally and shed excess fat.

Achieving your desired body weight is never impossible if one has the determination and patience needed to stabilize your metabolism, which plays such an important role in weight loss. However, you do need to realize that eating right and working out is not just a passing fancy, but a way of life - at least if you intend to make lasting positive change to your health and fitness.

Why Rest Is Important For Your Exercise Goals

It's that time of year again: Time for New Years Resolutions! It's the time when so many people decide to get healthy, get fit, and set some exercise goals for the year. So it might seem odd that we're starting off the year talking about rest - but it's actually an important factor for achieving success with your fitness regimen this year.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When you get started on a workout routine, you want to keep it going strong, but you have to remember that it is possible to do too much.  Working out as much as you can, for as long as you can, and as hard as you can, is more likely to get you injured than in shape.  Our bodies require regular rest to heal and to function optimally.

Every time you work out, you create damage in your muscles and other tissue.  It’s often too small to really notice, but it’s still there - that's why you get sore after a workout.  Resting your body allows these tiny injuries to heal themselves.  If you don’t get enough rest between workouts, these tiny problems can add up to a larger, more serious injury.  Rest also gives our muscles time to build themselves, so if you never get adequate rest, you won’t see significant improvement.  Not only should you take adequate rests between each individual workout, you should also alternate light and heavy workouts during the week, and have a much lighter week every 6 weeks or so. 

In addition to just “taking a break” between workouts, you need to get adequate sleep at night as well.  Not only does sleep help us rest and relax our brain, it also allows us to relax and repair our bodies.  Not getting enough rest will leave you sluggish, not at your peak performance, and will eventually even make you ill.  While it is recommended to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night, you should remember that each person is different.  Some need only 5 or 6 hours of sleep to function properly, while others may need 9 or 10 to feel refreshed.

Yoga (Photo credit: RelaxingMusic)

One type of rest people don’t usually consider when thinking about a workout is rest from stress.  A workout provides stress to our body, but it’s not the only thing that does. If we are mentally and emotionally stressed throughout the day, it shows physically.  If your body is in a constant state of stress, your muscles won't relax and heal, even when you’re just sitting still.  If you are showing symptoms of fatigue and feel overworked, you should try adding yoga, Pilates, or even meditation to your routine. These will truly relax your body and mind, and allow it to get the rest it needs - at the same time as giving you a nice workout! 

If you don’t rest between workouts, get sleep at night, or take the time to de-stress, you’re not only more at risk for getting hurt, you’re probably also pretty tired.  If you don’t feel like you have the energy to get out of bed in the morning because you’ve worked out too hard, chances are you probably won’t feel like exercising either.  By doing too much too soon, you’re actually likely to decrease how much you work out in the future.

So remember, working harder isn’t always better.  Set a plan to reach your fitness and exercise goals for the year, but remember to add rest time into your program. You'll end up getting more out of your workouts, seeing better results, and finding exercise more fun and enjoyable. Take the time to relax and let your body prepare for its next challenge.   

15 Tips for a Better (and Safer) Workout

For those who play sports or engage in other vigorous physical activity, injury is always a concern. Not only is it (really) no fun, but an injury can "sideline" your workout regimen for week or even months. If you are out of commission long enough, an injury can undo all of the progress you've made, no matter how dedicated you've been to your workout routine.

Here are some tips to help avoid injury and keep you moving ahead in your fitness goals. (Remember to consult your healthcare practitioner or trainer before beginning any new exercise routine, especially if your fitness level is low to start with.)

1. Stop and Go

If you play a sport that requires a full sprint, remember that a full sprint strains the muscles of the lower body. To combat this, do stop-and-go exercises. For example, run 30 meters at about 80 percent of your effort, slow to a jog for five to 10 meters, then run again for another 30 meters. Repeat this process five times. (Interval training such as this has also been shown to increase calorie burn and weight loss, over traditional steady "aerobic" exercise.)

Image via Wikipedia2. On bended knees

Almost 3 out of four ACL injury occurs when players are landing or turning. If your knees are bent instead of straight, the risk of injury is greatly reduced according to a report in the JAAOS (Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons).

3. Cool down

Heatstroke is not something that can be easily cured like headache. To avoid it, stay cool and hydrated. Be sure the combined temp an humidity is less than 160. This is according to Dr. Dave Janda of the IPSM.

4. Get the proper equipment

Badly fitting gears or ill sized equipment can be a cause of  training injuries. The extra money spent on proper equipment goes a long way.

5. Do it the right way

Bad technique is just as bad as, well, bad equipment. Seek advice from pros and trainer, this advice are invaluable to your exercises or training.

6. Go West (or whichever direction)

If you're playing or training in multiple directions, your warm up should also. Move sideways, backward, forward and all the motions you might be doing. This allows your body to be prepared.

7. Have yourself filmed

The camera doesn't lie. Show your video to a person well versed in your training, so he can give a critique of your fitness regimen, and point out any improper form that could cause strain or injury.

8. Loosen the shoulders.

Even a slightly injured rotator cuff can shut down the function of a shoulder. You might want to include stretching to protect your rotator cuffs.

9. Take an early dip

Schedule your swimming sessions early. The less people in the pool means less of everything in the pool! (Though this is more a general health tip than injury prevention!)

10. Protect yourself

Wearing custom-fitted mouth guards reduces the risk of  injuries by as much as 82 percent, according to a study at UNC at Chapel Hill. Plunk out the cash for a custom-fitted mouth guard and it'll last for years including your smile and teeth.

11. Smooth out your tendons

Inquire about ultrasound needle therapy. These procedure is minimally by using ultrasound to guide a needle. The needle smoothens the  bone, breaks up calcifications, and fixes scar tissue. Thirteen out of twenty patients saw improvement, and the session takes only about 15 minutes of your time.

Image by Ed Yourdon via Flickr12. Buy your running shoes after work.

Shop in the evening, the feet are swollen after a day of work. This approximates how your feet will be after three miles of running.

13. Do off road running.

If the surface is unstable, it trains the ankles to be stable, by building up the muscles and tendons that rotate your feet in all directions. Stronger and more flexible muscles are less likely to suffer an injury. (Just be careful starting out, so you don't injure yourself in the process!)

14. Know where you're going.

Whether its biking, or skiing, be sure to have a dry run down any path first. A lot of injuries can be avoided when you're familiar with the route taken.

15. Train hard.

Anxiety reduces your peripheral vision by three degrees and slows the reaction time by almost 120 milliseconds, according to an article of the Journal of Sports Sciences. When the going gets difficult, the veteran athlete rely on skills they've trained for and practiced. It keeps them cooler under pressure, widening their vision so they can see react much faster.