[ad_1]
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – If you’re middle-aged and slowly gain weight over the years, you are probably associating it with an age-related decline in metabolism.
Metabolic rate is the rate at which your body burns calories for energy to survive, and it is generally believed that with age your metabolism slows down while resting, especially in people over 40. .
As for postmenopausal women, the metabolism slows down even more.
But these beliefs are not true, according to a new research paper published in the journal Science.
By analyzing data from 6,500 people aged from infancy to the elderly, the authors of the article determined that resting metabolism remained stable for 20 to 60 years before registering a decline of less than 1% per year. afterwards.
The article does not report any real difference between metabolic rates of men and women, even for postmenopausal women, when other factors are controlled.
Now you might be wondering why you feel your metabolism is slowing down, and the answer has more to do with a healthy lifestyle.
What it really means is that you have the flexibility to make changes that will boost your metabolism, regardless of your age.
Here are 4 scientifically-backed ways to boost your metabolism
Be active all day
And when you ask yourself why you feel your metabolic rate has slowed down with age, you must also ask yourself if your daily activity level has slowed down.
Along with all of the other health risks associated with prolonged sitting, experts point out that constant inactivity is the biggest damage to your metabolism.
“Sitting most of the day significantly reduces fat metabolism,” said Edward Coyle, professor of kinesiology and health education at the University of Texas at Austin.
Coyle noted that his research found that it was necessary to take at least 8,500 steps per day – throughout the day, rather than taking every step at a time – in order to maintain adequate fat metabolism.
Additionally, Coyle found in his lab that just five four-second workouts done at full effort every hour throughout the day can dramatically increase fat metabolism by up to 49%.
While doing a 20-second sprint every hour is not practical for almost everyone, sedentary office workers whose time constraints and responsibilities prevent them from making regular visits to the gym should be excited to get up and move around for a few minutes per hour. make a big difference.
Do the right kinds of exercises
And high intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength training have been shown to have statistically significant effects on your metabolism.
HIIT is a training technique that includes periods of intense exercise with a high heart rate alternating with periods of recovery, and has been shown to increase metabolic rate, especially for fat burning, long afterward. at the end of the exercise.
One study found that after 12 weeks of high-intensity interval training, overweight men were able to reduce their abdominal fat by 17% and their total fat mass by two kilograms, which is relatively more than in previous years. other fat burning studies using different forms of exercise; alternative exercises.
With strength training, the muscle mass in your body increases, which increases your overall metabolic rate and means that you burn more calories after your workout.
However, unlike high-intensity interval training, the muscles you develop during strength training will continue to burn heat energy no matter how often you exercise, as long as you exercise. enough to maintain your muscle mass.
As such, strength training can also help you avoid the muscle loss and metabolic decline associated with dieting.
In a study of 48 overweight women who ate a diet containing only 800 calories per day, strength training was found to help them maintain muscle mass and metabolism, while the women in the study who have only done aerobic exercise or have not exercised. muscle and had a low metabolism.
To maximize your metabolism through exercise, you should combine your weekly exercise regimen to include both strength training and high intensity interval training.
However, it’s important to note that to get the most out of any type of exercise program, you should also separate long periods of inactivity during the day with short periods of activity.
Nourish your body with protein and water
Digestion of food actually increases your metabolism for a few hours because it takes caloric energy to process the nutrients you eat, and this is called the thermal effect of food.
This does not mean that you have to eat more to increase your metabolic rate, but if you eat more protein, it can increase your metabolism more than other foods, because protein causes a greater increase in the thermal effect of l food, which increases the overall metabolic rate by 15-30%.
Eating protein is also essential for building muscle, and in addition, eating protein helps you avoid muscle loss and the resulting decrease in metabolism that can accompany dieting.
Drinking more water can also increase your metabolism for a short time. Research shows that drinking half a liter of water can increase your resting metabolism by 24% for about an hour.
Additional research suggests that improved metabolism can be increased by drinking cold water due to the energy required to heat it up to body temperature.
Get the rest you need
Sleep is crucial for the recovery of all bodily processes.
Sleeping less than 7 hours on a regular basis is associated with many negative health effects, such as weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, depression, impaired health. immune function, increased pain, poor performance, and an increased risk of death, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.
And when it comes to the detrimental effects of a lack of sleep on bodily processes, metabolism is no exception. Research has shown that sleep deprivation and reduced sleep quality have a detrimental effect on metabolism.
To get the sleep you need to maintain a healthy metabolism and overall health and wellness, it’s important to have a nighttime routine that includes strategies to facilitate rest, such as breathing exercises to help calm you down. your nervous system. You can also practice yoga movements to prepare your body for sleep.
Source link
