Boosting Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): A Guide to Burning More Calories at Rest

Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the amount of energy your body burns at rest to perform essential functions like breathing, circulating blood, and maintaining body temperature. Think of it as the amount of calories your body burns to eat, sleep, and breathe.

Why is BMR Important?

A higher BMR means you burn more calories throughout the day, even when you're not actively exercising. This can make it easier to maintain a healthy weight and achieve your fitness goals.

There’s a few factors that influence your BMR:

• Age: Our BMR naturally declines with age.

• Sex: Men typically have higher BMRs than women.

• Muscle Mass: Muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat tissue.

• Height: Taller individuals generally have higher BMRs.

• Genetics: Your genetics play a role in determining your BMR.

When trying to increase your BMR, remember that you want to focus on sustainable lifestyle changes rather than quick fixes. This will make it easier to stay consistent and you’ll be more likely to see results this way too.

1. Build Muscle Mass:

   • Strength Training: Engage in regular strength training exercises such as weightlifting, bodyweight exercises (push-ups, squats), and resistance band training.

   • Focus on Compound Exercises: These exercises work multiple muscle groups simultaneously, maximizing muscle growth and calorie burn.

   • Anaerobic Exercises: Resistance training and HIIT increase lean muscle mass and BMR

2. Increase Lean Body Mass:

   • Focus on a Healthy Diet: Consume enough protein to support muscle growth and repair. Include lean protein sources like chicken, fish, beans, and lentils in your diet.

   • Follow your specific protein goal: With our InBody app we’re able to provide an individualized protein goal for your optimal results.

3. Optimize Hormone Levels:

   • Get Enough Sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night. Insufficient sleep can disrupt hormone production, including those that regulate metabolism.

   • Manage Stress: Chronic stress can negatively impact hormone levels and increase cortisol, which can hinder fat burning. Practice stress-reducing techniques such as yoga, meditation, or deep breathing exercises.

4. Stay Hydrated:

   • Drink Plenty of Water: Dehydration can slow down your metabolism. Aim for 60-80 ounces of water per day.

By incorporating these strategies into your lifestyle, you can effectively boost your BMR, burn more calories throughout the day, and make progress towards your fitness goals.

At Elevation Men’s Clinic, our goal is to help you achieve optimal wellness by looking at your individualized body composition. Our InBody Scale is able to accurately measure your specific BMR and identify your ideal range. With this, we are able to set goals that are specific to you. Schedule your consultation today which includes an InBody Scan, review of your results and personalized goal setting.