Last Updated 3 years ago
The national lockdown has affected everyone differently and been hard in innumerable ways.
Being instructed to stay at home has done little to keep us moving over the last year.
If you feel like your metabolism has slowed down during lockdown, you’re in good company.
But fear not; although your get-up-and-go might seem dormant, there are plenty of simple ways to reboot your metabolism, starting today.
What Does Metabolism Mean?
Metabolism is also known as the metabolic rate.
The metabolic rate is “a series of chemical reactions in a living organism that create and break down energy necessary for life”.
In simple terms, your metabolism is the rate at which your body burns the calories you consume.
If you have a fast metabolism, your body will burn more calories during a 24 hour period. People with a fast metabolism may be able to eat a larger number of calories without ever gaining weight.
A person with a slow metabolism will burn fewer calories both at rest and when doing exercise.
Unfortunately, having a slow metabolism increases the chance of weight gain, and that often means that you need to be careful about what you eat to avoid gaining additional pounds.
What Effect Has Lockdown Had on My Metabolism?
Unless you are a keyworker you have probably spent more time at home during lockdown than ever before.
Working from home might mean walking from your bed to your desk, rather than walking into work or running to catch the bus. The number of steps you take in a day has probably dramatically reduced.
Your workdays at home can be spent indulging in an endless supply of snacks from the kitchen cupboard, and you don’t even need to go for a walk at lunchtime to pick up a sandwich.
You might have felt that there has been little to look forward to each week, and so an over-indulgence on takeaways, desserts or alcohol might have become the norm each evening and weekend.
With your gym or local pool closed for much of the year, it may have felt harder than ever to motivate yourself to exercise.
Those who have been juggling home schooling and work may have had little time for healthy eating or any form of exercise.
Many of us have also felt anxious or stressed during the pandemic, which might have led to poor sleeping patterns or a reliance on other vices such as alcohol or smoking.
All of these factors could lead to a slower metabolic rate, which could be responsible for any weight you have gained during lockdown.
If you’re feeling sluggish and a shell of your pre-pandemic self, with the easing of restrictions on the horizon it’s time to reboot your metabolism and enjoy a return to good health.
How to Reboot Your Metabolism
It is true that there are genetic factors at play in determining the speed of your metabolic rate.
However, if you think you might be genetically predisposed to a slower metabolism, don’t let this hold you back in making changes.
There are plenty of steps you can take to enhance a slower metabolism, regardless of lifestyle or genetic factors.
Sleep
The first step in rebooting your metabolism is getting enough sleep.
A century ago, nine hours sleep per night was the average. By 2010, this had fallen to 6.8 hours, making us a chronically sleep deprived society.
Advising you to spend more time resting might seem counterintuitive given that you want to raise your metabolism.
However, scientists have confirmed that getting too little sleep has a significant impact on your metabolism. This is because lack of sleep causes a hormonal imbalance.
Furthermore, chronic sleep deprivation can increase the risk of obesity and diabetes.
As you take your first steps in rebooting your metabolism, it is important to ensure you carve out enough time to get a good seven or eight hours sleep every night.
This may involve getting an early night by switching the TV off earlier. You may also benefit from leaving your smartphone in another room at bedtime to avoid night-time scrolling.
Investing in black out blinds or ear plugs may also be beneficial if you are a light sleeper or struggle to ‘switch off’.
Reduce Stress
It is probably not particularly surprising to learn that high stress levels can have an effect on your metabolism.
The consequences of stress are far-reaching.
Stress has been shown to cause the following functional changes within the body:
- Problems with memory
- Behavioural and mood disorders
- Suppression of the immune system
- Increased risk of malignancy (cancers)
- Increased heart rate and blood pressure.
Researchers found that a high level of stress was associated with a lower metabolism within the body.
They also noted that stress and depression promoted obesity.
Managing stress in your life can be difficult, particularly as we emerge from a year that has been, for many, a time of heightened anxiety and extreme personal pressures.
There are several steps you can take to try to manage your stress levels.
Positive thinking, keeping active and making a list of tasks you need to complete may also help to minimise stress levels.
This might include splitting large tasks into smaller, more realistic chunks. You might also want to talk through your concerns with a friend, relative, or professional.
If you are feeling weighed down by stress or overwhelmed by low mood or even depression, it is advisable to book an appointment with your doctor for further assessment and appropriate management.
Metabolism Boosting Food and Drink
There are some foods and drinks that you can try to enhance your metabolism.
The increased metabolism is usually prompted by a thermogenic reaction occurring within the body.
The process of thermogenesis occurs when a food or drink item causes a slight increase in body temperature, which in turn increases the number of calories being burned.
Breakfast
Although it might be tempting to skip breakfast, especially if you are counting calories, this may actually have a negative effect on your metabolism.
Breakfast is known to kickstart your metabolism.
Firing up your metabolism by eating breakfast prompts your body to begin burning calories straight away.
Moreover, in the morning your blood sugar levels are naturally low.
Avoiding breakfast can leave you feeling tired and lacking in concentration.
This may mean that by mid-morning you’ll be reaching for an unhealthy sugar boost that will contain more calories and fat than the healthy breakfast you might have consumed earlier in the day.
Black Pepper and Chilli Pepper
Piperine is found in black pepper and enhances metabolic performance by causing thermogenesis to occur. The same process is also prompted by consuming capsaicin found in chilli peppers.
It can be hard to consume the large quantities of black pepper and chilli pepper required for thermogenesis to take place.
However, some supplements contain these ingredients, making them far more palatable.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has been shown to increase the metabolism of obese rats and mice. Made of apple juice and yeast, the mixture becomes alcoholic and can aid weight loss alongside a calorie controlled diet.
The vinegar taste of apple cider vinegar can be masked by adding it to a smoothie or diluting it in hot water as a tea.
Probiotics
Probiotic yoghurt, or those that state that they contain active cultures, are a great way to boost your metabolism.
Probiotics contain ‘friendly bacteria’ that can help the stomach and bowel function effectively.
In particular, probiotics increase the metabolism of dietary substances within the digestive system and the liver.
This may increase the availability of molecules from food, allowing you to get the most nutrition from the meals you consume.
Increasing the availability of healthy nutrients may provide the vital organs with nutrients to optimise their function, helping you to feel less sluggish.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a known stimulant that can increase the metabolic rate.
One cup of coffee contains around 100mg of caffeine, and it is generally accepted that drinking up to 400mg of caffeine each day will not cause any harm.
By drinking coffee, you may get the lift you need to get active or make lifestyle changes, without any harmful effects.
Green tea is also known to contain caffeine. One cup contains less caffeine than coffee, at around 33mg.
Furthermore, green tea also contains a flavonoid and antioxidant called catechin.
Catechin is known to increase fat oxidation, the process of breaking down fat within the body.
The combination of catechin and caffeine can increase your metabolism.
Water
Drinking water is already widely known to be healthy, with two or more litres recommended every day for good health.
However, a study has found that drinking water can actually increase the metabolism.
In fact, drinking 500ml (half a litre) of water increased the metabolic rate of healthy participants by 30%.
Drinking two litres of water could lead to a 400kJ energy expenditure. This is the equivalent of burning around 95 calories.
Like many of the foods listed above, drinking plenty of water increases the metabolism by thermogenesis.
In the study, thermogenesis occurred as the body warmed the water from 22oC to 37oC (normal body temperature).
The researchers found that men mostly burned lipids to increase their metabolic rate, whilst women burned carbohydrates. Increasing your intake of water could therefore lead to weight loss.
Drinking plenty of water could be a great step in giving your metabolism a simple boost whilst emerging from lockdown.
Exercise
Making changes to your diet is great, but adding in some new exercises is the final aspect needed to kickstart your metabolism.
If your gym has been shut for months and your local park has been too busy to run or cycle in, the end of lockdown should signal a return to something close to normality.
If you’ve never been keen on exercise, it’s not too late to start.
Plenty of exercise activities can take place in your living room by following a fitness channel, giving you the privacy to get fit with confidence.
If a gym membership isn’t your thing, investing in an exercise bike or basic treadmill could have you burning calories in no time.
The more active you are, the more calories you will burn.
Crucially, certain forms of exercise are superior when it comes to raising your metabolic rate and burning calories.
Aerobic Exercise
The NHS has advised that aerobic exercise is the “most effective way to burn calories”.
Aerobic exercise could include walking, cycling, running or swimming. Even heavy gardening can count as aerobic exercise if it leaves you out of breath.
150 minutes of aerobic exercise is recommended each week.
This is the equivalent of five sessions of 30 minutes each.
If this doesn’t sound realistic, you could go for a long walk of 60 or 90 minutes at the weekend to reduce the amount of exercise you need to fit in mid-week.
If you are looking to lose weight as well as increase your metabolic rate, you will probably need to further increase the number of minutes you exercise each week. Squeezing in an extra walk each lunchtime could help.
Strength Training
Building your muscles burns more calories than burning fat does.
For this reason, strength training is the way forward if you want to lose weight.
You could lift weights or complete a high intensity interval training (HIIT) workout. There are many strength training videos you can follow on YouTube for free.
You don’t need to invest in any equipment at first. Instead of purchasing expensive dumbbells, it’s perfectly acceptable to start with bottles of water or tins of baked beans.
Repetitive heavy lifting whilst gardening can also count as strength training.
The beauty is that once you start working your muscles, your metabolism will increase and then stay high, helping you to burn more calories even after exercising.
Final Thoughts
It is no surprise if months of the ‘stay at home’ restrictions have led to a nosedive in your metabolic rate.
Rebooting your metabolism is achievable and straightforward once you have a plan in place.
By getting enough sleep, reducing stress, making changes to your diet and exercising regularly you can quickly get your metabolism up and running.
Before too long, you’ll feel energised and rejuvenated, and may even see some weight loss, too.
Further Research:
“Sleep and Metabolism: An Overview”
A scientific review of the impact of sleep deprivation on metabolism.
“The impact of stress on body function: A review”
A review of the impact stress can have on various organs and systems in the body.
NHS advice on managing feelings of stress.
“Water-Induced Thermogenesis”
A study looking at the impact on metabolic rate of drinking two litres of water each day.
NHS guidance on using exercise to increase your metabolic rate and burn calories.
Hannah England is a freelance copywriter with a clinical background. After working as a doctor for several years, she now writes medical educational articles to help fitness lovers around the World
She endeavours to empower patients by providing informative content that allows them to make healthy choices for improved wellbeing.
Expertise:
- Health
- Medicine
- Nutrition