Does Working Out Increase Metabolism?
Getting regular exercise is one of the best gifts you can give yourself. By getting the American Heart Association’s recommended 30 minutes of physical activity five times a week, you can lower your risk of diseases and health problems, improve your mood and mental health and find extra energy. And because exercise burns calories and increases your metabolism, it’s also an effective way to achieve a healthy body weight.
What is Metabolism?
Your body uses units of energy called calories to carry out its daily functions. Metabolism is the rate at which it converts those calories into energy. The faster your metabolism, the more calories you burn. The number of calories your body needs per day simply to exist is called your basal metabolic rate, and it can increase or decrease based on a number of outside factors such as height, weight, gender, genetics, body composition and activity level.
Muscle and Metabolism
Depending on what source you cite, gaining lean muscle mass will either dramatically increase your metabolism or just nudge it in the right direction. There are two factors, however, that aren’t disputed. First, muscle requires more calories to sustain than fat. And second, a higher body weight leads to an increased metabolism. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn to maintain it. And because it weighs more than fat, muscle mass can increase your body weight and raise your resting metabolic rate.
Strength Training and Metabolism
One of the best ways to build your muscle mass and increase your metabolism is by lifting weights and engaging in strength-training exercises. When you lift, you break down the fibers in your muscles and force your body to rebuild them stronger than before. The result is increased size and strength. As the muscles grow, your body starts using more calories to maintain the mass, thereby raising your metabolism.
Cardio Exercise and Metabolism
Bouts of intense cardio exercise can also increase your metabolism for a time after your workout. Your metabolism can soar for several hours after a high-intensity cardio workout such as sprinting, speed training or spinning, as several metabolism-boosting hormones that are released during exercise remain elevated in the blood afterward. "The New York Times” also reports that extra calories may be burned while the body replenishes glycogen after an intense cardio session.
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