Does Exercise Increase Metabolism?
What Is Metabolism?
Metabolism is the process by which your body turns food into energy through chemical reactions in your cells. Your metabolic rate is a measurement of how many calories (units of energy) your body burns in order to function.
Some people have faster metabolisms than others, which means their bodies burn calories more quickly. Most of the things that affect how fast your metabolism is are things you don’t control, such as your genes, size, age, and sex. Sometimes, a sluggish thyroid or another hormonal condition can decrease your metabolism.
But you do have some control over some things that affect your metabolic rate, such as how much muscle your body has and how much you move. Muscle cells burn slightly more calories than fat cells, even at rest. And, of course, exercise burns calories.
Keep in mind that the speed of your metabolism is probably not responsible for any excess weight you may carry. That’s much more likely to be a reflection of how much you eat and how much you move.
But burning calories and building muscle tissue are important, especially as you get older. You naturally lose muscle mass with age, which affects both strength and, to some extent, metabolism. Working out regularly can help slow down that decline. It has many other important health benefits, too.
Does exercise increase metabolism? Not much, but it can burn calories and help you get fit. (Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images)
Benefits of High Metabolism
Having a fast metabolism means your body uses more energy for its basic functions. In other words, you burn more calories than someone with a slower metabolism even when you’re not moving around. You can eat more than they do without gaining weight.
But whether your metabolic rate is speedy or sluggish, your body is designed to store as fat any excess calories you take in. Research shows that many people who are overweight or have obesity have fast metabolisms.
The bottom line is that your metabolism has much less to do with your weight than your lifestyle — that is, your diet and how active you are.
How Does Exercise Increase Metabolism?
One of the few ways you can affect your resting metabolic rate is to change your body composition so that you have more muscle and less fat.
Weight or resistance training can help you build muscle. It’s also great for your bones, joints, and balance. Experts suggest doing strength training exercises to target every major muscle group at least twice a week. Just one set of each exercise can provide benefits, as long as you use enough weight or resistance to fatigue your muscles after 12-15 repetitions.
Along with cardio exercise and a healthy eating plan, strength training can be an effective part of a weight-loss program. But most people who exercise regularly gain only a few pounds of muscle. That’s not enough to make a major difference in your metabolic rate. Your large organs — your brain, heart, kidneys, liver, and lungs — are responsible for most of your resting metabolism anyway.
Exercise, especially cardio exercise, also promotes weight loss in another way. It helps you burn more calories.
Exercises That Increase Metabolism
The more intense your workout, the more you’ll temporarily increase your metabolic rate (in other words, burn calories). But anything that gets your body moving will use extra calories, whether it’s gardening, household chores, or running after your children. Some research has shown that slim people tend to fidget more than others. That alone might burn hundreds of calories a day.
Many people who start exercise programs compensate by moving less during the rest of the day and/or by eating more calories. Watch out for these tendencies if weight loss is your goal.
With any exercise routine, consistency is key. It’s also important to get your doctor’s OK if you’re just starting out with exercise.
Endurance exercise
The most efficient way to burn calories is with heart-pumping aerobic exercise such as running, cycling, or jumping rope. You might also hear this type of workout called endurance or cardio exercise. Experts suggest a minimum of either 150 minutes of moderate cardio activity or 75 minutes of vigorous cardio activity every week.
Endurance exercise makes you breathe faster while it boosts your heart rate. Doing it regularly improves the health of your heart, lungs, and circulation system. This reduces your risk for many serious health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
