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Health & Fitness

Using Physical Activity to BOOST Metabolism

Boost your metabolism by getting active!

GOOD NEWS: You can boost your metabolism and burn more calories, the best method is: physical activity. The more active you are, the more calories you will burn. This doesn’t necessarily increase your resting metabolic rate, your metabolism will take awhile to return to a resting state after exercise.

For example, if you generally train once a day, keep that up. But sprinkle in some additional activity throughout the day. Add a lighter second workout, walk or ride a bike instead of driving, take the stairs instead of the elevator, get up from your desk and walk or run for a few blocks, or do sets of push-ups periodically throughout the day.

There is a twofold benefit to doing something physically active every waking hour. First, every extra minute of activity will burn additional calories. Second, you get a bonus caloric burn after you finish, while your metabolism gradually reverts back to its resting state.

Aerobic activities, as well as resistance training, provide metabolism-boosting benefits. In a study of individuals walking on a treadmill at low to moderate intensity for 20–30 minutes, it took 30 minutes for metabolic rate to return to a resting level. Following 30 minutes of cycling at a higher intensity, metabolic rate returned to a resting level within about 60 minutes. And after a heavy weightlifting session, metabolic rate can remain elevated for over 14 hours.

Physical activity is a natural FREE metabolic rate booster. If you want your metabolic rate to be higher in general, exercise more frequently. Make sure to include both aerobic and resistance activities.

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