• Your basal metabolic rate is the amount of energy you expend while at rest, i.e. it is the amount of calories your body burns carrying out normal bodily functions such as digestion, circulation and breathing.
• An increase in lean body mass will tend to increase your metabolic rate.
• Thyroid T-3 and Kyo Chrome can help boost your body metabolism.

If you are trying to lose weight, or if you are trying to control your weight, your metabolism will have a crucial role to play in your success or otherwise. Your basal metabolic rate is the amount of energy you expend while at rest, i.e. it is the amount of calories your body burns carrying out normal bodily functions such as digestion, circulation and breathing. Your metabolic rate decreases with age and also reduces when there is a loss of lean body mass (or muscle). An increase in lean body mass will tend to increase your metabolic rate. Lean mass or muscle is denser than fat and therefore weighs more. It takes more energy to maintain muscle with blood and oxygen. Also, your aerobic fitness level which is the type of fitness most associated with running has been shown not to correlate with basal metabolic rate. So, is running enough for stimulating your metabolism, or should you look to other exercises or sport?

As increasing lean mass can stimulate your metabolism, a program of resistance training is worth considering. Compound exercises which involve multiple muscle groups such as bench press, squats, and standing shoulder press are best for stimulating your metabolism, and have the best potential for developing lean muscle whilst improving strength. Resistance training is also useful for improving bone density, which can also decrease with age.

Benefits of Running

Jogging or aerobic exercise is a very efficient way to burn fat, although it may not be the most effective method to develop lean mass, or to stimulate your metabolism. However, interval training may be a way to incorporate running into your training in a way that will have a positive effect on metabolism. HIIT (high intensity interval training) forces your body to concentrate on fast twitch muscle fibers which are associated with power. In addition, high intensity interval training puts your body into a state of oxygen debt which means that your body will continue to work hard to meet the deficit after your workout has finished. This can have a profound effect on your metabolism as you continue to burn fat as you rest and recover. High intensity intervals have the additional benefit of improving the volume of oxygen that your body can take in and process during exercise, known as VO2 max. As your VO2 max improves, so does your ability to cope with handle more intense exercise.

High intensity interval training is relatively arduous, although the duration of a session is short when compared with a jog or a bike ride. A high intensity interval training session would normally take about 12 minutes, and that includes warm up and warm down. A note of caution, however: if you relatively new to a fitness program or you have not trained for some time, make an appointment with your doctor to talk over your plans, and start your program of high intensity interval training steadily to see how your body reacts. Start your session with a steady jogging warm up of around 4 minutes. Then move onto some short sprints with a short period of recovery in between. For example, try 10 second near maximum efforts with a 20 second rest interval. Try 4 repetitions to start with and build up to 10 at the most. Make sure you warm down with an easy jog (it should be all you are capable of!) for around 4 minutes after you have finished sprinting. This does not sound like much, but what you lack in volume, you make up for in intensity and you will feel the effects of your efforts for some time after you stop. Your body will also continue to benefit from enhanced metabolism and fat burning as you recover from the session.

High intensity intervals should be undertaken with caution, but if they are carried out properly, they can be highly effective in stimulating your metabolism.

There are natural supplements that can help boost your metabolism and increase lean muscle mass. Check out products like Thyroid T-3 and Kyo Chrome to help get your metabolism up to speed.

Metabolic Workout Programs12 Dec 2008