The older we get, the slower our metabolism tends to get.  But it doesn’t have to be that way!  Our metabolism naturally slows as we age and stop running around like a crazy animal!  You should see how my five children get going in the evenings, chasing each other around the circle in our home and screaming like hyenas.  For some reason when I reached adulthood, I quit acting like that, and I started to gain a little around my middle!

Some signs of a slow metabolism are feeling constantly cold when others are fine and having low energy or fatigue.

There are things we can do at any age to boost our metabolism and keep our dignity at the same time.  Here’s 7.

1.  Build muscle.  Weight lifting is great for you! It takes more calories to maintain muscle than fat and those with more muscle naturally use more calories each day just being.  On top of that weight training also increases your bone density which can ward off osteoperosis.

2.  Drink green tea, eat spicy (hot) foods, and drink ice water.  Consuming these types of things will give your calorie burning a boost.  It’s interesting to note that Green Tea’s metabolism effects don’t rely much on caffeine.  Though there is a small amount of caffeine present in green tea the other plant components have an even stronger affect on metabolism.

3.  Add fiber to your diet.  Fiber takes 10 extra calories per gram just to move through your digestive system. Aim for 28 grams of fiber each day.  Some foods, like celery, are so slow in calories and so high in fiber that it takes more calories to digest it than it has.

4.  Look for ways to add motion to your day.  You don’t have to chase around the circle in your house–but it wouldn’t hurt if you did.  Dance with your kids; park farther away; take the stairs.  If you have a spare 5 minutes, run up and down a staircase as many times as you can.  If you are on the phone, do squats. Standing side leg lifts are great if you are washing dishes.  And you can squeeze your stomach muscles tight while waiting in line.  (A good 10 second squeeze gives you the same benefit as a full sit up!)

5.  Plan your exercise for early in the day.  Your metabolism will stay elevated for several hours after you exercise, but if you do it right before sleep, this long term effect is lost.  Any exercise is better than none, but if you can do it early on you’ll get even more from it.

6.  Do interval exercises.  This can be as simple as sprinting for 1 minute and walking for 1 minute back and forth for your exercise duration.  Or you can do jumping jacks for 1 minute and lift weights for 1 minute.  With interval training you trade off high intensity exercise with low intensity exercise.  This technique allows you to burn more calories in a shorter amount of time and gives your after burn metabolism an even bigger boost.

7.  Check your vitamin levels.  Deficiencies in Vitamin D, Chromium, Iron, and the family of B vitamins will reduce your metabolism.  These types of deficiencies are fairly common.  Most multi-vitmains contain these ingredietns, but if you are concerned about your levels your doctor can order a simple blood test.