I'm posting this separately because I thought it might be useful to lots of people. This is part of a free email service of exercise/diet articles. There is also a for-fee service that's available, but lots of good stuff can be had for the asking.
"7 Keys To Supercharging Your Metabolism
for Weight Loss"
copyright 2002 by Greg Landry, M.S.
You hear it all the time - "metabolism," but what is
it? It's the process of converting food to energy
(movement and heat). Metabolism happens in your
muscles and organs and the result of it is what we
commonly refer to as "burning calories." Metabolic
rate is the speed at which this process is occurring.
"Basal metabolic rate" (BMR)is the metabolic rate or
caloric expenditure needed to maintain basal body
functions such as your heart beating, breathing,
muscle tone, etc. Basal metabolism accounts for about
75% of the calories you expend on a daily basis!
The good news is that there are 7 ways you can
"boost" your BMR! The more of these you're able to
incorporate into your life, the more you'll boost
your metabolism. That means you'll be expending
("burning") more calories 24 hours a day!
1. Tone your muscles with weight training three days
per week. Toned muscles send your metabolism through
the roof. Do it!
2. Do some type of aerobic exercise (walking, jogging,
swimming, stationary cycling, aerobic dancing, etc.)
on a DAILY basis (preferably in the morning) for 30 to
60 minutes! Forget this twice-a-week stuff. Your body
was designed to be active on a daily basis! When you
are, your metabolism will soar! For more information
on morning exercise, send email to:
<a href="mailto:[email protected]">Morning</a>
3. Always eat breakfast! Skipping breakfast sends the
message to your body that you're starving because you
haven't had food for a while. As a protective mechanism,
your metabolism slows down. Food, especially complex
carbohydrates, fuels your metabolism.
4. Never eat less than 1200 calories per day! Less than
1200 is usually not enough to support your basal
metabolism and thus will slow your metabolism.
5. In addition to your regular aerobic exercise, take a
10 to 30 minute walk at lunch or in the evening. This
serves to boost your metabolism even more!
6. Look for situations to be active. Park as far from the
store as you can (when safe) rather than looking for the
closest parking spot. Use the stairs rather than the
elevator, a rake rather than a blower, etc. Look for the
"hard" way to do things! Make your life an active one.
7. Incorporate "intervals" into most of your aerobic
sessions. Intervals are a powerful tool to help boost
your metabolism.
Intervals are brief periods (about one minute) of more
intense exercise mixed into your regular aerobic exercise
sessions. For example, if you're walking, you would do a
one minute interval of faster walking about every five
minutes throughout your exercise session.
Here's how it will look; you'll start with your normal
three to five minute warm-up and then five minutes into
your workout you do your first interval, one minute of
faster walking (or perhaps jogging). At the end of that
minute you should be "winded" and ready to slow down.
You'll slow down to your normal exercising speed for
the next four minutes and then your fifth minute is
another one minute interval. This pattern continues
throughout your exercise session. For more information
on intervals, send email to:
<a href="mailto:[email protected]">Intervals</a>
