We think about our body’s metabolism when we embark on a weight loss journey. A person with a slow metabolism will find it difficult to lose weight compared to someone with a higher metabolism. Most people are unaware of how metabolism functions. So, in this article, we will discuss what metabolism is and how to increase metabolism naturally without taking any supplements. 

What is Metabolism?

If we try to put it simply, we can say that the term ‘metabolism’ means your body’s ability to digest the food you consume. Enzymatic activities inside your body help in food digestion primarily. The body’s metabolism helps us grow and adapt to our surroundings. The energy stored inside the food gets converted to usable energy by the body’s metabolic activities. Having slow metabolism means that it will directly or indirectly affect your body weight. 

Know About Basal Metabolic Rate

Your body is constantly burning calories inside your body to keep the body functional. Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the number of calories consumed by a human body required to accomplish essential bodily functions. Depending on your BMR, you should design your lifestyle to stay healthy.

How Metabolism Affects Human Body

Several chemical reactions occur inside our bodies throughout the day. Through these reactions, our body produces energy to perform several functions. In simple words, the body’s metabolic activities help us remain alive. Whenever we consume food, the nutrients present inside that food work as fuel to produce the energy required for the body to function. The directed energy gets used for breathing, moving, food digestion, and blood circulation, and we can say that in the body’s overall growth. 

We talked about metabolic rate earlier. A high metabolic rate indicates that a person can burn more calories at rest, although several factors have a direct effect on metabolism, such as 

• Age 
• Diet 
• Gender
• Body Stature
• Health Condition 

All these factors, as mentioned earlier, contribute to your body’s metabolism. So, suppose you are wondering how to increase body metabolism. In that case, you should consider all these before trying to boost your metabolism. 

Ways to Boost Your Metabolism to Stay Fit and Lose Weight

• Consuming an Adequate Amount of Water

Aerated drinks in the market contain high amounts of sugar, and we often drink them when we go out. Instead of drinking these sugary drinks, we should only focus on consuming water. Water can help to reduce weight more than any other drink. When you replace aerated sugary drinks with water, the calorie intake will automatically reduce. An adequate amount of water consumption will boost metabolism in the human body. It will also help in weight loss if that is what you aim for.

Moreover, when you encourage yourself to drink more water, your body will not try to hold onto the water. It would be ideal if you remembered that dehydration could slow metabolism. Every day, a human should consume 10 to 12 glasses of water to keep the body hydrated. 

• Performing Resistance Training

There is no better way than exercising to increase the rate of metabolism in the human body alongside the fat-burning rate. It would be best if you indulged yourself in high-intensity interval training (HIIT), where all the workouts are highly intense. If your body permits, you can perform these exercises for a prolonged period to burn more fat. In case you are trying to lose weight, then there are high chances that your metabolism rate will drop. During this time, try to lift weights as much as possible to encounter this drop in metabolism. Your body muscles are more metabolically active than the fat deposited in your body, so build muscles and burn calories simply by lifting weights.  

• Stress Reduction

In today’s world, almost every human being is struggling with stress and stress-related anxiety. You can’t eliminate stress from your life. What you can do is reduce the amount of stress in your life. There are a few ways to keep stress in control. Manage your workload and make time for yourself whenever possible. You can also try meditating to keep a check on increasing stress.

• Maintaining Your Sleep Cycle

Increasing or decreasing sleeping hours may not directly affect the body’s metabolism. Still, it can create an imbalance of the hormones responsible for managing a person’s appetite. Insufficient sleep will lead to midnight cravings when a person’s usual intake contains a lot of sugar, increasing the calorie intake. Moreover, lack of sleep is a primary reason for increased blood sugar levels, thus enhancing the risk of type 2 diabetes. So, getting adequate sleep daily would be best to maintain or improve your body’s metabolism. 

Final Words

Make slight yet relative changes in your lifestyle and follow all the tips mentioned above to boost your metabolism. If your goal is to lose weight, increasing your body’s metabolism will help you lose weight while making you energetic.