Exercise is a vital part of any good weight loss plan. We probably don’t have to tell you twice that getting up and moving as much as possible is essential to a healthy lifestyle, especially if you’re trying to shed some pounds. However, it’s important to consider how you workout and the type of exercise you’re getting. Sure, cardio is great, but it’s not all there is—in fact, adding some variety to your workout routine could make all the difference in your fitness journey. As it turns out, certain types of exercise may be able to do wonders for your weight loss goals by boosting your metabolism.
To learn more about how you can boost your metabolism with your workouts, we spoke to personal trainer and nutritionist Vivian Yu of One Body Personal Training, along with dietitian Dana Ellis Hunnes, author of Recipe For Survival. They both told us that incorporating strength training and HIIT workouts into your routine could be a total game-changer. Learn more below!
Strength training
Hunnes and Yu both say that one of the best things you can do in order to boost your metabolism is build muscle through strength training. This is because the higher muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolism will be. "Pound-for-pound, muscle burns 10x as many calories as fat, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even just to rest," Hunnes tells us. "So, don't avoid strength training as it will repay you many times over."
Yu also points out that "when you lift weights, your body must use energy to repair the muscles that are broken down during the workout. This process requires calories and helps to boost your metabolism." All in all, lifting weights and building strength is a great idea for your overall health, especially if you're looking to boost your metabolism and burn calories faster.
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HIIT workouts
Another great type of exercise to add to your routine for a faster metabolism is high intensity interval training, or HIIT. "These workouts alternate periods of high-intensity activity with periods of rest or low-intensity activity," Yu explains, noting that "HIIT workouts are great for boosting your metabolism because they are very intense and require a lot of energy to complete."
Hunnes says that this type of exercise also "increases your heart rate a lot during exercise, giving you that high burn during your workouts, but it keeps your body temperature higher after workouts increasing the post-workout calorie burn (aka metabolic rate)." Perfect!
The bottom line
Ultimately, many things play into our body's ability to burn calories and shed pounds, from diet to genetics to hormone levels—which is to say we can't all have the world's fastest metabolic rate, no matter how hard we may try. However, we do have a little bit of control over our metabolism, and one of the best things we can do to boost it is step up our workout game with some strength training and HIIT. While it may be hard work, it will definitely pay off in the end!
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