What Exactly Does Exercising Do to Your Metabolism?

We all know that exercising is an extremely important part in getting into your ideal weight and frame. But bedsides shedding fat and shaping your muscles, did you know that you can alter your metabolism by exercising as well? But just what does this mean to your body?

Metabolism is the rate at which a person burns energy, and this is measured in calories. By exercising, you can train your body to be a more efficient energy-burning engine by maximizing your metabolism. As many of you know, your metabolism slows down as you age, which is why those fast food stops affect you more now than when you were a young teen.

To understand more about your metabolism, you must know that there are three parts to it. One is your Resting Metabolic Rate, which is the amount of energy required to maintain the bodily functions and processes when you are resting and awake. Normally, this takes up about 60% of your caloric intake. The second is your Thermic Effect of Feeding (5-10%), which is the amount of calories you use to eat and digest food. And third,  your Thermic Effect of Activity (30%),  is the rate at which you burn calories while exercising and with normal movements. With that considered, and the fact that aging slows all of that down, we must pay more attention to our food and exercise to help kick it up a notch.

So let's face it, you're no getting any younger, so it's important to help out your body as much as you can by exercising to boost your metabolism. The best way to boost your metabolism is to throw in some cardio and weightlifting. As you get older, your body loses muscle which, unfortunately, does not help with weight loss. Muscles lose more calories than fat, so if you don't have muscle in your body, your metabolism will be much slower. Doing a cardio workout on the regular will boost your Resting Metabolic Rate, leading your body to burn more calories even after you workout. 

Another great workout to boost that metabolism is interval training. It works great because you add a big burst of energy in your workout such as going from a steady jog for 5 minutes then doing a 20 second sprint in between. The boost in energy creates a method that maximizes your metabolism by raising it for several hours after your workout.

Overall, exercise can do a world of wonders to your metabolism. It's a great, healthy, and natural way to feel great and get in your ideal shape.