Exercise to Increase Metabolism
Exercise to increase metabolism is an important and easy thing to incorporate into a fitness lifestyle. Exercise to increase metabolism is important because as we age are resting metabolism decreases after the age of 25. This ever diminishing decrease in metabolism comes with the negative effect of muscle loss. After the age of 25, most people on average can lose about 5 pounds of lean muscle mass per decade.
In my article about fitness lifestyle, I discuss the importance of having large muscles since their primary source of energy is stored fat. If we start losing lean muscle mass then the repercussions will be less fat being burned, and gaining weight.
So what is the answer? Exercise to increase metabolism! Muscles are so metabolically active burning the stored fat in our body that a decline in muscle mass will have a direct affect on your metabolic rate.
Exercise Intensity
Every time you contract a muscle energy is used. The more intense your exercise to increase metabolism the more energy will be used. Exercise to increase metabolism is a great way increase the energy cost that are associated high higher and more intense exercise. It is not only during the exercise that this increased energy use is important, but also after the exercise is completed. If the exercise to increase metabolism is of high enough intensity, there will be extra demands that are placed on the body after the exercise is completed because of the recovery and repairs that are required to the body. To read more about how this energy transfer works read ATP and Energy Transfer Processes.
Although I am an advocate of being “out there” doing any type of activity, low intensity exercise to increase metabolism do not have the same affect and offer little in the way of muscle preservation.
High Intensity Exercises
So now that you are interested high intensity exercises to increase metabolism, here is a list of exercises that qualify:
Exercise to Increase Metabolism - High Intensity Running
- Interval training with your chose sport/activity
- Weight training/resistance training
- Any type of “explosive” workout
- Hill running
The basic idea to qualify as a high intensity exercise is one that requires maximum muscle activity which leads to higher stresses placed on the muscles which result in muscle adaptation. This follows The Seven Principles of Exercise. So if you are going to run as your main exercise activity, then you should include interval workout that require a higher intensity than normal.
The Bottom Line on Exercise to Increase Metabolism
Exercises to Increase Metabolism are directly affected by exercise and the intensity of those exercises. Your exercises to increase metabolism are realized in throughout your body’s anatomy, physiology, and biological makeup. With a regimen of high intensity exercises your body will realize the following: 1) an increase in muscle size, 2) an increase in resting ATP production and output, 3) increase in mitochondria density, 4) an increased in slow twitch muscle fibers, 5) an increase cardio output, and 6) a decreased body fat. See Metabolism and how Muscles Work
The changes that you can realize are a direct result of the intensity and the type of exercise that you perform (aerobic or anaerobic ). High intensity workouts will create fast twitch muscles fiber development, while low intensity workouts will produce slow twitch muscle fiber development. Aerobic training is specific to greatly increasing your body’s functional capacity to transport oxygen and to burn fatty acids during exercise. Anaerobic training increases the body’s functional capacity for developing explosive strength and the maximization of short-term energy. It is this explosive strength that is the key for exercises to increase metabolism.
