We burn calories all the time, even at rest, but some strategies are better than others when it comes to boosting metabolic rate for a lasting effect.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: Better with Practice
Here's How:
- Exercise: Your metabolic rate will increase during exercise and it continues even after you stop. The more frequently you exercise the greater the overall effect.
- Move About: People who fidget, move about and change position a lot, can burn hundreds more calories a day more than those who simply slump in a chair.
- Eat Early: Metabolic rate is highest in the morning and decreases over the day. Starting the day with a good breakfast can boost resting metabolic rate by as much as 10%. People who skip breakfast and eat more food later in the day will tend to have lower metabolisms.
- Increase Muscle: We all expend energy even when we are at rest. Muscle tissue uses up around 20% of your daily intake of calories. An increase in muscle tissue can increase the resting metabolic rate as much as 10%. You will need proper guidance so it is best to seek advice from a qualified fitness or weights instructor.
- Drink Water: The body uses energy as cold water is drunk. In fact one litre of iced water takes one calorie to raise its temperature by 1 degree. In theory, drinking a litre of iced water could therefore burn around 36 calories; in practice it would not be wise to drink excessive amounts of water simply in order to burn calories.
