According to Helen West R.D.—along with eating plenty of protein and drinking cold water—a high-intensity workout can help boost your metabolism. Here are seven exercises that you should incorporate in your workout to help your metabolism.
Butterfly Crunches
See a demonstration here.
Doing butterfly crunches can help your metabolism because they stimulate your abdominal muscles and boost your peristalsis, which is the relaxation of the muscles of your intestine. Butterfly crunches will help you achieve a more stabilized core, which betters your posture, something that also helps your metabolism.
Jump Rope
Jumping rope is an exercise that triggers EOPC, excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. This the body’s natural response after a good workout. “It’s an increase in metabolic activity that occurs post-exercise,” says Jeff Halevy, founder of Apex Human Performance. Your body’s metabolism is elevated to try and return your body to that pre-workout state.
Burpees
See a demonstration here.
Burpees are one of the best metabolism-boosting exercises. They are performed at high intensity, so your heart rate will rise significantly. Your body will be working hard to get back to its pre-workout state, boosting your metabolism.
Squats
See a demonstration here.
The reason that squats can boost your metabolism is because it is a compound exercise, meaning it requires multiple muscle groups to work. The more muscles you have working, the more your metabolic demand. Doing squats with less than a minute between each set will help elevate levels of growth hormone and testosterone, both which boost your metabolism.
Planks
See a demonstration here.
Planks help strengthen your core and other muscle groups, making it another compound exercise like squats. They will help your body constantly burn energy, so it become less able to store calories from fat, which improves your metabolism.
Reverse Lunge
See a demonstration here.
A reverse lunge is an exercise that emphasizes the muscles of the glutes, hamstrings, and quads. It helps you focus more of your work on the large glute muscles. The dynamic movements are a great way to warm up and strengthen your muscles throughout your workout. At the end, will help your muscles and metabolism.
Bent-Over Dumbbell Rows
See a demonstration here.
For bent over dumbbell rows, you bend forward, hinging at the hips, you bring your weights to your chest. Keeping your core engaged and squeezing your glutes. Lifting weights helps to increase your metabolism during and post-workout. These rows exercise combine working on your muscles and strength, overall a great workout.
