While it's not possible to “reset” your metabolism, there are many ways you can naturally increase your metabolic rate, such as making changes to your eating plan, exercise routine, and sleep routine. Muscle burns more calories than fat. So won't building more muscle increase your metabolism? Yes, but only for a small amount. Most people who exercise regularly gain only a few kilos (minus kilograms) of muscle.
That's not enough to make a big difference in the number of calories you burn. In addition, when not in active use, muscles burn very few calories. Most of the time, the brain, heart, kidneys, liver, and lungs account for most of the metabolism. Exercise helps burn calories and build and maintain muscle mass.
Any physical activity is better than none. Start slowly and gradually incorporate aerobic exercise and strength training into your routine. In one study, participants who did resistance training for 9 months saw an average increase of 5% in metabolic rate, but the findings varied widely from individual to individual. The researchers suggested that fat-free mass (lean mass) and thyroid hormone levels could help explain the variability.
Alrutz says a man's metabolism usually works 10 to 15 percent faster than a woman's, mainly because men have more muscle mass. Unfortunately, women have to work a little harder to get the same results. Although a person has no control over the genetic aspects of their metabolism, research shows that some strategies can help accelerate the rate at which the body processes calories.
