Metabolism is what fuels your body and gives you the ability to burn calories and burn fat, said Alicia Taylor, a certified personal trainer at New Life Fitness, 315 E. Jolly Road.
Metabolism is necessary for life. It begins at birth and ends at death, according to the Nemours Foundation. Because metabolism is such a complicated process, many people define it as the force that influences how easily someone gains or loses weight.
What affects metabolism?
The choices an individual makes, including eating certain foods and exercising certain ways, affect their metabolism, but the process begins with genetics, said Nima Torabi, a certified personal trainer at Fitness 19, 4299 Orchard Lake Road, in West Bloomfield.
What are the dangers of a slow metabolism?
A slow metabolism can cause health risks such as cancer, diabetes, hypoglycemia and high cholesterol, Taylor said.
In addition to these life-threatening health concerns, a slow metabolism has a negative impact on the immune system and causes fatigue and low blood pressure, she said.
How can you increase metabolism?
There are many measures people can take to help increase metabolism, however, they all work together to produce results.
Eating small meals more frequently, staying hydrated, doing resistance workouts, consuming enough fiber, laying off the alcohol and eating breakfast are all important steps to follow to boost metabolism, Taylor said.
When exercising, workouts need to be changed in order to continue producing positive results.
“Each human being has a different adaptation rate,” Taylor said.
“For athletes, sometimes it’s one week to two weeks because their bodies are so well trained they need to change their workout plan continuously.”
Sources: Alicia Taylor, Nima Torabi, WebMD and the Nemours Foundation
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
