An Easy Way to Boost Metabolism

This past Spring I shared with you a three-part walking routine that is sure to help manage your weight. I didn't include any fancy research to support the routine as my main goal was to simply get you moving.

Well RealAge.com found a study in the Journal of Physiology that says you can receive impressive health benefits by exercising just twice a week for roughly 20–25 minutes -- keeping a low to moderate pace with occasional higher-intensity minutes mixed in.

The results? Significant boosts in both metabolism and fitness levels.

Don't Sweat It

And here's the kicker: Folks didn't have to go all out and kill themselves during the high-intensity minutes. They picked up the pace just a bit, anywhere from eight to a dozen times during their mini workouts. Bottom line: Endurance exercise of any kind -- even for a handful of minutes -- will help boost the production of mitochondria in your muscle cells.

And that's good news for your health, because the more of those little energy generators you have inside your muscles, the better your muscles are able to convert glucose and fat into energy. Translation: improved metabolism.

When a Little Means a lot

Of course, more exercise is always better for you (barring becoming an exercise addict). The more you work out, the more mitochondria you'll have doing good things for your body -- like boosting your metabolism and potentially reducing your risk of high blood sugar and obesity. So now you have no excuses -- especially when less than 30 minutes of light exercise showed such smart health benefits.

Okay, you got the facts, now get out there and start moving. The Fall is the perfect time to enjoy your power walking by yourself or with a friend.

To find out more visit RealAge.com. For more ideas on what to do for mini-exercise routines please contact me at Emil@fit4lifenyc.com.