Your metabolism can slow down with age and due to many other factors, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it. There are many things you can do to speed it up and keep it active as you get older.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, metabolism refers to the chemical processes that keep your body functioning as it should. It provides energy so you can do things like breathe or digest food after eating, heal wounds, and burn calories.
When your metabolism is active and functioning at the right pace, your body functions much better, and it better processes and burns the calories (at rest and during activity) that you receive from what you eat and drink throughout the day, which helps maintain a healthy weight.
Things like a poor diet (or an extreme one), age, stress, and lack of sleep can all affect your metabolism and cause it to slow down, but as Healthline explains, some strategies can help speed it up and keep it in good condition.
How to speed up your metabolism and keep it active (or prevent it from slowing down):
Eat protein with every meal
It’s very important to maintain an adequate protein intake throughout the day, which is why it’s recommended to add a little bit of protein to each of your meals. Healthline says that eating activates your metabolism because it causes an increase in what’s known as the Thermic Effect of Food, and protein is what causes the greatest increase in this.
In addition, protein helps keep the metabolism active because it prevents the loss of muscle mass with age (or with inadequate diets).
HIIT training
HIIT-type routines are high intensity and help you burn more calories and build muscle, and this is also good for your metabolism because it allows your muscle cells to burn more energy when they are at rest.
Lifting heavy things
It’s primarily about lifting weights (strength training), which is the best type of exercise for increasing muscle mass. Muscle burns more calories, so increasing it can help maintain an active metabolism at any age.
Stand up more times a day
Sitting all day isn’t good for your health, and it can lead to weight gain and a slower metabolism. It’s recommended that you stand up and take a few steps several times a day, even if it’s for short periods.
You can set an alarm or reminder to get up and move regularly.
Spicy foods
Adding a little spice to your diet can also help speed up your metabolism because chili peppers contain capsaicin, which can help you burn more calories throughout the day.
Sleep well
Lack of sleep has many negative effects on the body, and one of them is that it can slow down your metabolism (and increase your chances of weight gain). It’s essential to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night and practice sleep hygiene to ensure those hours are quality.
Drink coffee
Caffeine doesn’t just make you feel more awake and energetic. According to Healthline, one study found it can also help regulate how your body processes fat, and can even help beginners burn more calories while exercising.
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