Improve Your Body's Calorie-burning Power
Written by Margaret Polser and Jill Sharp
Moxie fans, it is time to rev your metabolic engines! No matter your age, gender, or hereditary circumstance, there IS something you can do to improve your body’s calorie burning power.
As middle-aged women ourselves, we understand your concerns and questions and wanted to try to provide some proven strategies that not only support optimal energy and health, but keep your metabolism functioning at its most effective level.
Engage in Interval Training
Push your aerobic limits by doing intervals of more challenging exercise interspersed with recovery periods as a part of your thrice weekly (minimum) aerobic routine. When we do so, we not only increase our fitness capacity, but we intensify fat burning and increase calorie expenditure, both during the aerobic exercise and in the hours that follow.
Get Moving
The more we move throughout the day, the more calories we burn. Simply by standing (versus sitting) we can almost double our metabolism. So get moving
Eat (a healthy) Breakfast
Every. Day. When we eat first thing in the morning (preferably within an hour of awakening), we jumpstart the calorie burning process. When we don’t, there is inadequate fuel to get the metabolic engine going, leaving our metabolism in low gear.
Eat Light, Eat Often
When we eat smaller meals and snacks throughout the day, the body is consistently fueled and constantly burning calories, keeping energy high, metabolism cranking, and fat storage avoided or kept at a minimum (assuming you have balanced or created a deficit with caloric intake and expenditure).
Build Muscle
As we age, we lose muscle mass, as much as 1 - 2 % per year after the age of 30. Your strategy? Rebuild it! Increasing the amount of lean muscle with resistance training can be done effectively at any age. The more muscle weight we carry the more calories our bodies burn - even when we are at rest. Strengthen your muscles by using weight machines, resistance bands, dumbbells, or body resistance exercises for each major muscle group a minimum of two times a week.
Stay Hydrated
University of Utah volunteers who drank 8-12 eight ounce glasses of water each day had higher metabolic rates than those who drank only 4. Cold water is even slightly better for elevating metabolism because the body works to warm it as we drink it. This healthy habit can also help us feel “full” and help our digestive systems work efficiently. Drink at least 8 servings of 8 ounces a day.
Include Metabolism Boosting Foods
Research has shown that there are some power foods that have an elevating effect on the rate at which we burn calories. Here are a few of the most effective with a brief description of how they work:
Green Tea: It contains epigallocatechin which stimulates the nervous system without elevating our heart rate. 2-4 cups a day can torch up to 80 calories.
Hot Peppers: Jalapenos, habaneros, and cayennes not only add flavor but also a chemical called capsaicin. Research shows that a spicy meal can increase our metabolism by up to 25% for 3 hours after we have eaten.
Rolled Oats: Whole grains take more energy to digest, so our bodies burn more calories when we eat them.
Tuna: Canned or fresh, it has omega-3 fatty acids which stimulate the production of leptin. Salmon, mackerel, herring, and sardines are good sources too.
Grapefruit: It contains naringenin, an antioxidant that helps our bodies use insulin more efficiently, keeping blood sugar in check and improving calorie burn as well.
By adopting a few of these metabolism boosting strategies, you will not only provide support for your on-going wellness efforts, but quite possibly experience the metabolic boost that you’ve been looking for!
Margaret Polser has a master’s degree in education and is a certified personal trainer. She is also a trained and certified Wellness Coach, specializing in physical fitness, nutrition, and stress management. Margaret lives in New Braunfels with her husband, Jason, and two sons, Andrew and Will. ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) Jill Sharp is a certified group fitness instructor and personal trainer with over 20 years of experience in the fitness industry. She is also an experienced corporate trainer and performance coach, specializing in the development and delivery of personal and professional performance improvement programs. Jill lives in New Braunfels with her husband, Jay, and two daughters, Madison and Camille. ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )
