The Metabolism - What Is It And How Can it Work For Me?
By: Randy Mclean

You hear it everywhere, "...the metabolism," but have you ever really looked at this fitness catchword in detail? Today, it is so commonly used we seem to forget the basics therefore resulting in a few missed gems of information here and there. Starting from scratch we must see:

1. What it is

2. How to work with it and most importantly

3. How it will benefit us

What is it?

The metabolism at its most basic level is the process your body uses to burn the food energy you have provided for it. It can also describe the rate or speed in which your body performs this process. Many different things in the food we take in are metabolized but for the sake of this article we will focus mainly on the food energy or calories themselves.

How can I work with it?

Since we now know what it is and basically how it works it is obvious that we want to find ways to speed it up naturally. This can be done in a variety of ways. Some are good and some are not so good. Let's start with the good:

-Increasing Lean Muscle Mass-

This is the first and probably the most obvious way to create a more constructive metabolism. It is natural that the more muscle we have the more calories we will burn...even at rest! Muscle takes energy to make it work but fat does not, it just sits there. Try moderate resistance training to start off.

-Engaging In Aerobic Exercise-

Aerobics are great! This will ensure that your body fat will decrease while at the same time your lean muscle mass will increase. Even after you have finished exercising your metabolism will remain higher for a period of time, working more efficiently. You will then burn more calories no matter what you're doing…working, driving, even watching television!

-Make Sure to Eat-

Yes, that's right, eat! Also, make sure you avoid crash diets where you starve yourself. Restricting your calories too much will result in a loss of lean muscle tissue slowing your metabolism down. And we don't want that! Make sure to also spread your meals out evenly throughout the day. Smaller, more frequent meals are generally considered better. Try a minimum of four. This way, your body will not think it's starving itself and won't be as likely to store the food as fat. This is usually the case when you only eat two or three meals during the day.

-Negative things-

While these things do work, they are not viewed as favourable as the ones described above because of certain side effects. These are things such as smoking. While they do work to a certain degree they seem to provide more negatives than positives. If you want an extra 'push' I would consider taking some time to research food supplements. They can give you more of an edge and 95% of them are good for you.

How Does It Benefit Me?

Well, besides burning more calories at rest you will look and feel a lot better. You will also be able to eat more and you will enjoy a more full life. Also, people who exercise regularly are less likely to lose muscle as they age and won't have to worry as much about 'putting on the beef...' Try these techniques, they can work for you!

About the Author

Randy Mclean has a diploma in Fitness and Nutrition from Education Direct, a YMCA individual conditioning certificate and is the author of Instinct - Master Your Mind And Your Body! For free tips and tricks visit www.weightlossguidance.com

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