how to increase metabolism?

Eat every three hours, eat six to seven times a day instead of only three big meals a day, exercising every day will help you to burn up to 25% more calories in the few hours after your work out is over, not to mention the time spent while working out. Drinking green tea ups your metabolism by a tiny bit.

LIFT WEIGHTS, WEIGHTS AND MORE WEIGHTS!!!! Muscle=Fat burning machine!!

DITTO

I recommend HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) to boost metabolism. Essentially you keep your heart rate elevated during any format of exercise. So if you walk as your cardio, include 1-2 minute bursts of higher intensity exercise. You can increase the intensity by increasing incline (if on treadmill) or increasing speed (treadmill or walking outdoors). Arm movements also help elevate heart rate, so simply pumping fists from the shoulders up overhead as you walk would help. If walking outdoors, especially at a track, you can walk a certain length of time or distance and then skip, sprint, lateral shuffle or skuttlebug for a stretch.

As for lifting, I work at a gym and our trainers cluster 2-3 lifting exercises with a break for 5-10 minutes of cardio typically at a best pace (80-85% target heart rate). The cardio boosts the heart rate so that when you return to your next cluster of 2-3 exercises (complete your sets whether a single, two or three) you are burning more calories as your build lean muscle mass. With a cluster of 2-3 lifting exercises, you don't have to stand around for the 2 minute recovery before completing your next set. You move from one exercise to the next and repeat. Obviously, you can't do three chest exercises in a cluster, but would have a chest, back and shoulder cluster to rotate through for multiple sets. If you skip rope, it's an excellent way to boost your heart rate in 3-5 minutes which is a nice recovery period interval.

If you have access to circuit training, I recommend it especially if the circuits alternate with cardio segments. Our gym offers a circuit training class led by a personal trainer and then specialty classes based on a circuit format which progresses over six weeks in intensity. We have a lifting station for 2 minutes. Sometimes the station is one exercise repeated the whole time (such as walking lunges) or a combination of two exercises (such as a squat on a bosu ball with a shoulder press) repeated the entire time. However, sometimes we alternate exercises such as 10 push-ups, 20 jumping jacks, 12 prone hops and 20 pop squats repeated the duration of the 2 minutes. Each of these circuits is alternated with cardio bouts on the treadmill or elliptical for intervals of 1-6 minutes. If the cardio is a longer bout, the intensity should increase each minute (if on the elliptical at a resistance of 10 then each minute the resistance should be increase but the rpm should be maintained which gets difficult in the final minute/s). It is necessary to keep moving without lengthy breaks to set up a new station so that the heart rate stays elevated. This format of circuit training with intervals of cardio to boost heart rate is known as fast twitch exercise. You build muscle which increases metabolism, but you also burn calories throughout the entire routine. I typically burn 740-825 calories during an hour class, but I don't relax between stations, I keep moving! Our classes have both male and female participants and are led by a male personal trainer.

I participated in the fast twitch circuit training format classes three times/week for the past 12 weeks. At the fitness assessment at week 9 the trainer informed me that my metabolism had clearly increased! I lost 18 pounds, dropped 4% body fat and decreased circumference measurements by several inches at my waist, hips and thighs.

Google fast twitch exercise and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) online and research these two formats. Also, consult a personal trainer about your goal of boosting metabolism. Most trainers should be willing to meet a few times with you and develop a program for you to follow on your own. I recommend you meet with a trainer every 8-10 weeks for new routines to follow. It's a worthwhile investment.

Best wishes for your fitness journey! :happy: Jill

zumba..

I can't add anymore. They've hit the nail on the head for things you can do to get that weight moving.

Bump for info on fast twitch exercise.