December 21, 2007

Exercise Your Way To A Lean Metabolism

Most medical professionals agree; it's not possible to change the metabolism you were born with. Don't despair though! It is feasible to tweak it a whole lot. There are two really big secrets for making this happen. Yes, we're talking about the "E" word. In fact, make that the "E" word times two!

Exercise is critical for boosting your metabolism's natural ability to burn fat that's already present, plus incoming calories. While it is technically not out of the question to improve your body's ability to burn through food without exercise, the undertaking is a whole lot more difficult.

In most cases, the best way to harness natural abilities to shed pounds and reduce the chances of gaining more weight is to incorporate both aerobic exercise and weight training into your regular routine. This makes a great deal of sense for a number of reasons, but do relax, exercise doesn't have to prove painful to produce results.

Why Exercise Is Important
The simple fact of the matter is that exercise helps fine tune a body for better calorie burning. When aerobic exercise is combined with weight training, fat that is already present can be burned off and calorie-eating muscle can be gained in the process. The result is an all around win-win for you and your metabolism.

The combination of the two is simply difficult to beat when it comes to boosting the metabolism. The long and the short of it is that it doesn't make much sense to build muscle without burning fat. Building muscle, however, is key since muscle requires more calories to maintain. This means the more lean muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolic rate should be - even while resting. The numbers paint a very clear picture. A pound of fat requires about two calories a day to maintain whereas a pound of muscle burns up an estimated 30-plus!

Selecting The Right Exercise
Here's the good news! On the aerobic end, just getting up and doing anything that gets the heart pumping is worthwhile. Running, jogging, swimming, gardening, playing tennis - they all can work wonders. The trick is finding something or several things you enjoy and sticking with the program.

On the weight training end, it is wise to proceed with caution. Building too much muscle without losing the fat or reducing it first can create a bigger, bulkier appearance. Gently work weight training into the mix and even seek a little professional counseling to select the right workout for your unique situation. Doctors, gym attendants and professional trainers are very helpful here.

While there are parts of your metabolic makeup that are not easy to change, there are ways to supercharge what you have. The "E" word times two is a powerful tool to use to speed the process along.

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