Maintain a Youthful Metabolism for Life

Ever noticed that fit people usually look younger? If you are in your mid-20’s to early 30’s then there is no better time then now to maintain having a lean, strong body or developing one if you’ve let it start to slide.  And if you’re in your mid 30’s to 50’s and have noticed the negative effects of declining muscle mass and metabolism then there is no better time then now to do something about it. Keeping active and maintaining a healthy lifestyle takes dedication and hard work. Will you feel happier, healthier and have a better body to show for it, yes! There are easy answers and quick fixes out there, but they won’t be giving you that youthful metabolism for life.

Keys to maintaining or having a healthy metabolism for life:

Build the muscle needed to speed up your resting metabolism (the number of calories your body burns to maintain life) all day and all night long. You can do this through resistance training in the gym or in a strength circuit training class. A kg of muscle burns approximately 110calories as day just at rest and a kg of fat burns only 22calories in the same 24 hr period!�
Maximize something called the “afterburn.” Through targeted strength training and specific interval training, you can increase the number of calories you burn during your workouts. Also, by integrating these high intensity efforts, you can burn another 100 to 200 calories per day or more after your workout just while sitting on your butt.�
Increase the number of calories your body burns by the type of foods you eat. Eating protein throughout the day, using healthy fats such as flax seed oil, eating fresh fruits and veggies and eating the right carbs at the right times are some key things you can do to increase your fat metabolism throughout the day.�
Boost the number of calories your body burns through movement. Today with most of us having desk jobs, time in the car, family commitments and a great line up of must-see TV, most of us move less at ages 30, 40 and beyond than we did during our teens and 20s. By training at least five hours each week, you can increase your calorie burning by about 300 to 600 calories or more per day. Outside of planned “training time” be aware of being more physical activity; take the stairs, park a bit further away from the door, commute by bike or walking if possible.