Want to know how to increase your basal metabolic rate (BMR)?
But first of all, want to know what your BMR is? Your BMR is the amount of calories your body burns up to keep you going on a day to day basis. It’s what’s needed to supply energy to all of your vital organs so you can go about your day unhindered and happy.
Unfortunately ladies, the male BMR works faster due to the fact men have more muscle mass and less fat – although it’s not a huge difference.
But what if we want to increase our BMR – whether male or female? Fitness experts reckon just one session at the gym can burn up around 30 per cent of our total daily energy expenditure. Digestion takes up around another 10 per cent. So what about the rest – that stubborn 60 per cent?
Well, there’s exercises you can do – and which we can show you at Overland Park Boot Camp – that will make an impact on your BMR. Cold weather and eating proteins also has an effect (the body burns up more calories to keep warm and it has to work harder at digesting proteins than carbohydrates or fats). Being pregnant (yes, there’s something in your favor ladies) also speeds up the BMR.
Anyway, getting back to those exercises, here’s some which you should seriously consider if you want to kick start that metabolism of yours:
- Increase the amount of time you spend lifting weights. Wayne L. Wescott, Ph.D., in Sports Medicine claims just one session of weights can increase your resting BMR by up to nine percent for three days afterwards. We’re not talking endurance here, more pushing yourself to lift heavier weights than you would normally.
- Combining weights with cardio. This is because the more oxygen you use, the higher the amount of calories you burn when resting. A good strategy is to incorporate cardio (ie 15 minute run on the treadmill or 30 minute cycle) into the middle of a weights routine.
- Interval training. Yes, you knew this one was coming! You’ll use more oxygen doing intense bouts of exercise than endurance training. And the more intense the bouts, the more your BMR will increase.
- Stretching. Believe it or not, this isn’t just about ensuring you don’t sustain any injuries when exercising. Scientists have shown it can also have a positive impact on your BMR. According to an article in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, where researchers compared those who did dynamic stretching prior to exercise and those who just flexed their limbs a bit, the former had a higher BMR.
So, guys and girls of Overland Park Boot Camp – what are you waiting for?
