Ever wonder why some people remain slim even though they eat all the time and seldom exercise? These people are blessed with high metabolic rates – the rate at which the body burns calories for energy.

Who has high metabolism?
Everyone has a different metabolic rate but it tends to be higher in males, younger and healthier individuals. So if you are an older female with a sedentary lifestyle, chances are you might find yourself with much lower metabolism. That’s why many older women put on weight even when they do not eat much more than they normally do.

The good news is, you can boost your metabolic rates no matter how old you are. An increased metabolism means your body burns more calories even at rest, thus helping you to remain trim. And for golfing enthusiasts, the sport can play a big part in your quest to increase your metabolism.

Metabolism Boosts
Eat Regularly
Eating five to six small meals a day gives your body a constant source of energy all day. This will encourage your body to burn these calories. Large meals, on the other hand, tend to get stored as fat.

Have Breakfast
Your body’s starved after a night of fasting. Feeding it will ensure you are more alert throughout the day. Plus, by skipping breakfast, you are actually encouraging your body to burn less calories.

When your body thinks it’s not getting enough food, it will automatically store what you eat as fats to prepare for “hard times”. To stay healthy, have some cereal with fruits to kick-start your metabolism for the day.

Lift Weights
Muscles play an important part in determining your metabolic rate. Though you don’t have to be built like a bodybuilder to boost your metabolism, incorporating a little strength building exercises into your workout routine to build up your muscles can help tremendously. That’s because muscles help burn more calories even during rest.

Skip The Sweets & Processed Foods
Bad news for those with a sweet-tooth – sugar switches your metabolism to fat storage mode, as do processed foods. That’s because the body doesn’t have to work as hard digesting these foods and the excess energy gets stored as fats!

Try cutting down on your sugar intake and stick to unprocessed foods (Eg.: apples instead of apple juice) as much as possible to give your digestive system a calorie-burning workout.

Get The Heart Thumping
Healthy individuals have higher metabolism so get moving! Just 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity at least three times a week can greatly improve metabolic rates. Brisk walking, cycling and swimming are good options to start with.

Learn To Relax
Stress is bad – we all know that. But did you know that stress can also cause weight gain? That’s because cortisol, a steroid, is released when you are stressed. And unfortunately, cortisol slows metabolism. Keep your metabolic rates up by thinking positively and avoid stressing yourself whenever you can.