🧬Is Your Metabolism Slow?
(3-minute read) Probably not. But here's an easy way to keep it churning.
Good News! Your Metabolism Isn’t Slow.
Most metabolic activity doesn’t seriously slow down until after the age of 60.
Sure, there are things (ultra-processed foods, extremely sedentary habits, and mindless activities) that can slow it down, but for the most part, it stays pretty robust in our youth and only marginally decreases in efficiency every 5-10 years.
But if you’re worried about this slowing of metabolism and are bound to a desk or have other circumstances that prevent you from moving regularly, this newsletter is a MUST-READ today.
Like, all the way to the bottom today. That’s why I sent it early!
Let’s talk about Metabolism, NEAT and Micromovement
When it comes to losing weight, most people think the only way to do it is through intense exercise and strict dieting.
That’s not true.
Those are parts of it, but dieting doesn’t need to be strict—some research even suggests that severe calorie cuts can negatively affect metabolism.
There is another way to boost your metabolism and burn more calories without breaking a sweat: non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT).
NEAT is just a fancy, scientific way of naming the energy burn that occurs outside of intentional exercise.
In other words, any movement throughout the day that is not exercise can contribute to your overall energy expenditure and calorie burn
This is important to understand before embarking on a HIIT-driven calorie-cutting craze.
The human body is constantly burning calories, even at rest.
The speed at which your resting body burns calories is known as your basal metabolic rate (BMR), and it accounts for the majority of the calories we burn each day.
Pretty crazy, right?
Adding NEAT activities to your daily routine can increase your overall energy expenditure and help you burn more calories.
This doesn’t have to be complicated — it just boils down to not sitting in the same spot for more than 30 minutes.
Research has shown that increasing NEAT can significantly impact weight loss.
One study found that people who stood (yes, literally, just stood upright) for an additional two hours per day burned an extra 350 calories, which could lead to a weight loss of 20-30 pounds over a year.
Increasing NEAT doesn't require too much effort, unlike mustering up the motivation to hit the gym.
Activities like standing (and pacing, for that matter—standing in one spot, like at a standing desk, isn’t as beneficial), chewing gum, drinking more water, and eating more protein can speed up your metabolism.
This is because these activities elevate body heat (THERMO-genesis), burning more calories.
See the connection?
Wait, what is Micromovement?
Right, I forgot that one.
So, while standing, walking, and pacing all fit the mold of extra movement for better metabolism and higher body heat throughout the day, they’re not necessarily micro-movements.
I’m talking even smaller.
A fascinating study in the late 1960s performed on rats found that rats that fidget burn more calories — upwards of 800 to 1500 more — per day than their non-fidgety counterparts.
If that sounds hyperbolic, subsequent findings since the sixties have shown that fidgeters are in fact more effective calorie burners.
You’re probably reading this thinking…
This seems a little ridiculous — how does someone start fidgeting more?
Here’s one way to look at it.
If the points I mentioned above about pacing, walking, or engaging in more household/day-to-day tasks aren’t feasible, you might consider a self-induced fidget like the soleus (calf muscle) push-up.
This calf push-up, like the ones you used to do at your school desk at study hall when you were bored waiting for the bell to ring, can do a lot for you because of the size of the soleus muscle.
Researchers at the University of Houston measured this study and found it had as impactful an effect on NEAT as pushups and squats have on a strength training workout.
So start moving those calves if you’re stuck in a seat or desk during the workday, and you could (seriously) start making some modest gains without hitting the gym.
Other Forms of Micromovement
To end on a creative note, here are some other ways to incorporate micromovement into your day and get the calories to burn faster.
Singing and/or dancing in the shower
Playing fetch with your dog
Holding your child while doing something
Loading up your backpack with more luggage than you need
Arm circles throughout the day
Stretching before bed
I hope this was a positive end to your day and left you with a good outlook on how to break through the glass ceiling that is “slow metabolism.”
Have a great weekend!