Stress of any kind can actually hinder your metabolism according to studies. Women with higher levels of perceived stress were more prone to obesity. Interestingly, studies show that increased stress levels correlate with increased television viewing times. You know what that means – pick a more active activity to do-stress than vegging in front of the TV.
Activities that lowers stress, like meditation or yoga, will help regulate metabolism.
Exercise
Not only is this an additional way to reduce your stress, but exercising is a key component in some of the natural ways to increase your metabolism.
Foods and supplements will not magically raise your metabolism enough to help you lose weight “If you want a quick metabolic boost, you’re better off hitting the gym or going for a brisk walk. While some studies have shown that certain foods can increase metabolism, the boost won’t last and after about 30 minutes the rate of metabolism will be back where it started.”
A vigorous workout can help increase your metabolism for several hours afterwards.
Weight-bearing exercises will increase muscle mass, which in turn burn more calories and contribute to the overall numbers of burnt calories each day.
An effective way to increase your metabolism is to do 10 minutes of burst training 3 to 4 times a week. “Bursting consists of 30 seconds maximal exertion followed by 30 seconds of minimal exertion for a total of 10 minutes.”
- Take care of your liver.
You must also take into account your liver when it comes to a healthy metabolism. The liver is a powerhouse in the metabolism world. It alone is responsible for around 600 metabolic activities on a day to day basis. If your liver isn’t working properly your metabolism will not be working properly.
Warm water and lemon juice can help to boost digestion and liver function.
Overall, it’s important to remember that every small step counts, but none of these steps is a magic formula. The journey towards healthy living is just that, a journey.
“Boosting your metabolism means increasing your total daily calorie burn. Running and bicycling is two of the best exercises to help burn off the calories.
Afterwards you must replenish yourself with good calories after sweating off the bad. The misconception that if you consume a single type of food or supplement, the one addition will ensure a boosted metabolism. It is never about a single nutrient, food or supplement, but your diet and lifestyle as a whole.
Benefits of Yoga
Yoga focuses on your body’s natural tendency toward health and self-healing.
Physical Benefits
“The relaxation techniques incorporated in yoga can lessen chronic pain, such as lower back pain, arthritis, and headaches “Yoga can also lower blood pressure and reduce insomnia.”
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Increased flexibility
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Increased muscle strength and tone
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Improved respiration, energy and vitality
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Maintaining a balanced metabolism
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Weight reduction
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Cardio and circulatory health
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Improved athletic performance
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Protection from injury
Mental Benefits
Why Calisthenics
Calisthenics and weightlifting are two forms of strength training, useful for developing stronger muscles, healthier bones and increased stamina. Calisthenics exercises do not rely on any equipment or devices, instead relying on your own body weight for resistance. Calisthenic exercises naturally burns more fat opposed to weightlifting.
A primary advantage of calisthenics over weight training is the flexibility and ease of practicing in any place, at any given time. Once you learn the proper techniques for various calisthenic exercises, all you will need is a clear space to practice powerful moves like push ups, sit-ups, crunches and lunges. For a fuller routine, get a chin up bar to do pull-ups or a level stool to do step-ups.
Muscles are built on the principle of progressive resistance. You can only increase your resistance so far when your only weight is your own body. However, calisthenics can build a reasonable amount of muscle mass, and maintain it, especially for a beginner looking for improving muscle growth. An added benefit of calisthenics opposed to weightlifting is that it accomplishes muscle growth without the tearing and trauma that weight training can inflict.
Weight Loss and Increased Metabolism
Calisthenics tackles the problem of burning excess fat from two different directions. First, the strength training builds muscle mass and tone all over your body. Increased muscle mass is a way to increase your metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories every moment of every day. Second, continuous calisthenics will cause your heart rate to rise. It results into an aerobic exercise, one of the most effective ways possible to burn off fat and increase your metabolism.
Performing calisthenics will improve multiple aspects of your physicality. It is an excellent exercise for over-all fitness and health. No matter what your physical goals, calisthenics are worth consideration while achieving them. A combination of yoga and calisthenics will give you a kind of Bruce Lee flexibility and strength physically; With a strengthened mindset to accommodate ourselves.
To do any exercise is good compared to people who do not do any form of exercise. Cardio is a great exercise that you can achieve in many different forms of exercising, but as we age running and other forms of exercises may start to become more detrimental than beneficial. As we age we must adapt to our bodies and what we are able to do, and a great cardio activity would be swimming.
Benefits of Swimming
An aerobic workout works out your heart and lungs by increasing the amount of oxygen needed throughout your body. Aerobic activities helps control body fat, tone muscles, increase metabolism, improve, lean muscle mass and increase general stamina.
For a senior swimmer that is looking to maintain their fitness level, try swimming at least three times a week. If you are looking to improve your fitness, increase your workouts to four to five times a week. This leads to significant stroke improvement and in pool performance, along with improvement in regards to overall flexibility, ankle movement, hip rotation, shoulder movement and body height.
A senior swimmer is considered anyone who is 55 years or older. A study also suggests that the only type of exercise that lowers older adults’ risk of falls is swimming.
No matter if you are young or old there are plenty of benefits to swimming. A swim workout burns fat, trim inches and help you get stronger, fitter and healthier than ever.
A pool might not be the first place you think of going when you’re looking to shape up and slim down—but perhaps it should be. No other workout burns calories, boosts metabolism, and firms every muscle in your body (without putting stress on your joints) better than a swimming workout.
The body-shaping benefits of swimming workouts are the result of a perfect storm of calorie burn and muscle recruitment. An easy swim burns around 500 calories an hour, while a vigorous effort can torch almost 700. Water is nearly 800 times denser than air, each kick, push, and pull is like a mini resistance workout for your entire body.
The oxymoron to the story is that while swimming makes you lean and mean, it’s also kind to your body. Water basically neutralizes gravity, so you become virtually weightless when immersed, giving your joints a much-needed vacation. You can swim almost every day without risking injury unlike running or strength training. Swimming is something you can do for your entire life. That is a major bonus because it can literally help you stay younger
Can’t stress enough the importance of exercising frequently. Last year was probably the most stressful part of my life. My body was in a lot of pain, aching joints and tense shoulders.
I’ve stopped running for 2 years because of knee problems and that have put a lot of restriction on my movements. Yoga is my last resort and I’ve been practicing about 3 to 4 times a week, sometimes even before bed.
I wouldn’t say that it increases my metabolism, but it certainly help to reduce my stress level.
I wish we could stay young forever but aching joint tends to happen as we get older. Running may not be good for you depending on your age and condition, but walking and riding a bike could be beneficial. I started doing yoga in an effort to try to keep my joints feeling healthy. Yoga is essential towards keeping your joints and muscle in good health because it helps us become flexible which is something we tend to lose as we age. Yoga is also a great form of meditation as it can help release stress which plays a part into your metabolism.
I ran for 40 years, until increasing incidences of calf pain forced me to reconsider and finally quit at about age 58. I now walk and cycle, lift weights, etc. I’ve noticed that I have fewer back pains than when I was running in the later years. Running is great for aerobic conditioning but I found its limits.
My father is in the same condition. He is 58 also and the doctor actually told him that running does more harm than good now. As you get up in age it is good to start doing different exercises to keep you feeling young. Yoga is a good preventive measure to joint pains, but its best to do them leading up to older age. Swimming would probably be a good thing for you to start doing.
I’d love to increase my metabolism but more importantly I’d like to reduce my stress. I don’t exercise very regularly partly because I am naturally skinny and because I am very busy. However, I do find myself lacking energy and feeling rather stressed. I heard that exercising gives energy so I’m really trying to push myself to go for it! Thanks for a lovely and informative artice
Exercising would reduce your stress especially if you can develop a routine. 3 days straight and you will feel a world of difference. Its important to know that it does not have to be doing the same exercise everyday and overworking your body. Do more upper body one day and more lower the next. Its really about variety and you do not need a machine or anything to workout. Yoga is a great exercise for your lower body and is like a form of meditation which can help you balance out your stress. I’m glad you found the content to be informative and work on your stress.
Hey!
I have a stone to lose, for an upcoming wedding. I just cannot get motivated. I start the day with good intentions, but by lunch time I have fallen into my old habits.
What can you suggest to help me get into and stay in the right frame of mind?
If you start the day off with good intentions then stick to it. The things you do to start your day usually carryover to how you feel throughout the rest of your day. If by lunchtime you have fallen back into old habits that means you didn’t act on your intentions to start the day, or you started the day off good just to ruin it with unhealthy foods. Try to develop a routine and do some yoga as a form of meditation to keep a positive mindset.
I recently heard on the radio that there’s no medicine that has as many health benefits as exercise and this article brought that point home again. I love to exercise and do everything you mention in your article except the yoga, which for some reason I’ve never really liked. The mental benefits are up there with the physical ones for me. I always feel better physically and mentally after working out and actually miss it when I don’t have time to exercise (like today, but I’ll make up for it tomorrow) . I don’t need to lose weight but I’m curious about the connection between metabolism and the liver. Could you elaborate a little on that?
If you exercise without doing yoga, you are already doing better than most people who do neither. The liver is the major fat burning organ in the body which regulates fat metabolism. The liver works in helping us keep our weight under control, being both a fat burning organ and a fat pumping organ.
A diet high in fiber will cause the unwanted fat to be carried out of the body via the bowel actions. A diet low in fiber will cause some of the fats (especially cholesterol) and toxins that have been pumped by the liver into the gut through the bile will recirculate back to the liver.
Your overall diet and the things you consume can lead to an unhealthy liver, and its best to minimize alcoholic beverages and excess sugars from juices, sodas, ice cream etc.
Hello there! I’m actually looking for a way to lose some weight. I wanted to try calisthenics and add it with swimming and also proper diet. I wanted to be ripped and lose some of my weight. I found your article and it is really helpful since it talks about the benefits of exercising. But do you think swimming, calisthenics and proper diet will make me lose weight and gain muscles?
Incorporating calisthenics with swimming and a proper diet will definitely put you on the right path. Some healthy supplements to go with exercising and a healthy diet can also help towards your ideal weight.