(ThyBlackMan.com) Metabolism is the rate at which your body uses energy to maintain its performance. Generally, low metabolism equals slower weight loss and lower ebb of energy, while the higher the metabolism the greater the weight-loss and energy level. Low physical energy translates into less mental alertness and functionality as we proceed through the day. Everybody’s metabolism is not the same and there are some health and genetic factors that impact one’s ability to boost their metabolism. Generally, though, as goes the body, so goes the mind.
There are several things you can do to boost your metabolism. The most important one, in my opinion, is to build muscle. Muscle and fat cannot co-exist, at least not peacefully. The more muscle you build throughout your body, the more your body burns calories and fat – even at rest. So get those weights out! When you boost your metabolism, you boost your body and your life. Although the following recommendations do not represent a workout, the suggested activities play a huge role in raising your metabolic energy.
Five Metabolic-Boosting Activities:
1. Don’t skip breakfast – Eating breakfast comprises up to 10% of your daily calorie burn. Skip this meal and your body begins the day in the negative. Generally, eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.
2. Eat less more often – When you digest 5 to 6 or more small meals, it essentially fires your body’s fat burning 
mechanisms, much like adding wood to a stove frequently on cold, winter day. Add a majority of the wood in the morning and periodically add more wood throughout the day. At night, allow fire to burn itself out and start the whole process again the next morning. Snacking healthy throughout the day achieves the same effect for your body.
3. Hydrate – Drink 3 to 6 liters of water per day. This sounds like a lot of water, especially during the winter, when our bodies crave less hydration. But remember, we are aiming to boost your metabolism, and a raised metabolism also works to keep your immune system at a high level during cold and flu season, something that only a well-hydrated body can achieve.
4. Work those legs – As legs represent 60% of your muscle mass, working them burns more calories and boosts metabolism rather than focusing on smaller muscle groups. The best thing is you don’t have to be in a gym to work your legs. Do three to five sets of squats or lunges during your lunch break, or sneak in a few bodyweight squats at your desk. If nothing else, you can always hit the stairs!
5. Cardio and Strength-Training! – I’m a huge proponent of doing cardio AND weights. I don’t recommend doing one without the other. This tandem leads to a huge energy boost and burns calories with amazing efficiency. Doing extreme cardio only results in a temporary metabolic boost. To achieve a ‘cardio effect’ while lifting weights, try aiming for high reps with light weights.
When you boost your metabolism, you boost your body and your life.
Staff Writer; W. Eric Croomes
This talented brother is a holistic lifestyle exercise expert and founder and executive coach of Infinite Strategies LLC, a multi-level coaching firm that develops and executes strategies for fitness training, youth achievement and lifestyle management. Eric is an author, fitness professional, holistic life coach and motivational speaker.
In October 2015, Eric released Life’s A Gym: Seven Fitness Principles to Get the Best of Both, which shows readers how to use exercise to attract a feeling of wellness, success and freedom (Infinite Strategies Coaching LLC, 2015) – http://www.infinitefitnesscoaching.com.