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Metabolism
is the amount of energy (calories) your body burns to maintain
itself. Whether you are eating, drinking, sleeping, cleaning
etc... your body is constantly burning calories to keep you
going.
Metabolism is affected by your body composition. By body composition,
I mean the amount of muscle you have versus the amount of
fat. Muscle uses more calories to maintain itself than
fat. People who are more muscular (and have a lower percentage
of body fat) are said to have a higher metabolism than others
that are less muscular. For example, let's say you have two
people who are the exact same height and weight. One exercises
on a regular basis with weights, in addition to aerobic exercise,
and has a low percentage of body fat. The other never exercises
and has a higher percentage of body fat. The first person
who exercises will have a higher metabolism than the second
person. What this basically means is that person #1's body
will use more calories to sustain itself than person #2.
How can I Increase My Metabolism?
Begin
to exercise and stop dieting. If you've never exercised
before, make sure you see a doctor before beginning a new
exercise program (your problems with metabolism may be the
result of a medical condition rather than your diet or lack
of exercise).
You can increase your muscle mass by doing some type of resistance
work (i.e. lifting weights, using exertubes, rubberbands,
dynabands, hand weights etc...). You can also decrease your
level of body fat by doing some type of aerobic exercise at
least 3 days a week for longer than 20 minutes. By aerobic
exercise, I mean an activity (such as walking, jogging, step
aerobics, hi/low aerobics, biking, swimming etc...) that will
increase your heartrate into the target zone and keep it there
for the duration of the exercise session. You also need to
eat! - Do not diet, just watch the types of foods you eat.
Try to eat a diet that is lower in fat (check the labels on
the foods that you buy).
I Never Gained Weight Until I Reached 30, What Happened?
After
the age of 30, your body gradually begins to lose it's muscle.
If your activity level stays the same and the amount of calories
you eat stay the same, you will gain weight because your metabolism
has slowed down (you don't have as much muscle as you did
in your 20's). If you exercise with weights and do some type
of aerobic activity on a regular basis, you probably won't
notice much of a change in your metabolism as you age.
How do I Know if I Have Slow Metabolism?
Symptoms
of slow metabolism include fatigue, feeling cold, dry skin,
constipation, a slow pulse and low blood pressure. These symptoms
could be the result of a medical condition rather than low
metabolism - MAKE SURE YOU SEE YOUR DOCTOR to rule out any
type of medical problem.
Is there any way to Lower Metabolism?
If
you eat a very low-calorie diet, your metabolism will slow
down in order for your body to survive (your body thinks it
is starving).
From dieting, my weight has gone up/down over the years,
How has this affected my Metabolism?
If
your diet has resulted in a loss of muscle and an increase
in your percentage of body fat, then your metabolism has probably
slowed down.
Does Genetics Play a Role in Metabolism?
Yes
it does. Everyone has a different bone structure and body
type (mesomorph, ectomorph, endomorph or combination). It
is not realistic to think that everyone can look like the
Baywatch beauties or like Arnold Schwartzenagger. However,
given your body type and genetic make-up, you can exercise
(with weights and aerobically) to look the best that you can.
How Long is My Metabolism Increased After Exercise?
This
is a tough question and one that I am frequently asked. Most
experts agree that weight training and aerobic exercise do
increase metabolism while you are exercising and after you
are done. They disagree on how long after exercise your metabolism
remains increased.
When you are exercising aerobically, your focus should be
on burning calories and working your cardiovascular system.
Because it takes more calories to exercise, your metabolism
is sped up during the activity.
When you are lifting weights or doing other resistance work,
focus on the activity itself which not only burns calories
but increases muscle strength, tone and endurance.
The combination of aerobic activity and weight training will
result in a body that has more muscle and less fat - so the
end result will be a higher metabolism.
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