These Workout Moves Are Like Espresso Shots for Your Metabolism

First, let's get a better understanding of what metabolism actually is. Put simply, it's the bodily process needed to maintain life, wherein the body converts food into energy or burns calories. According to Harvard medical researchers, when your body is still, you're using the calories to continue running or to store as fat. Therefore, if you have a fast metabolism, on average, your body will burn more calories both at rest and while it's active.

So how do you increase your metabolism in order to burn more calories and store less fat? That's where strategic, metabolic workout moves come into play. There are a lot of theories surrounding different calorie-burning foods and drinks. However, one of the most surefire ways to do so is through exercise, especially since muscle increases your resting metabolic rate. Cardio workouts, especially HIIT exercises that combine both weight and cardio, will also rev up your metabolism.

If working out makes your eyes roll into the back of your head, trust us, we get it. The thing is, you need to burn more calories than you consume in order to lose weight. As such, below, we've lined up some simple metabolic workouts (videos included!) to build muscle and help your body rev up its calorie-burning abilities. Ready? Keep scrolling!

Muscle-Building

For those who are just starting out, try this 30-minute dumbbell workout for beginners.

This series of weight movements is a bit more complex. Do it for as long as you can stand with as much weight as you can tolerate, and work your way up in both time and intensity.

HIIT

In one study, individuals who took part in a 15-week HIIT training program burned more fat than those who followed a 20-week endurance training program, proving that working out in intervals is more effective than focusing solely on steady aerobic exercise. If you're just starting out, this easy 10-minute HIIT workout will increase your heart rate and kick-start your metabolism in less time than an episode of This Is Us.

This less-than-20-minute HIIT workout combines moves like jumping jacks, high knees, and squats for a low-impact, high-calorie-burning workout.

Cardio

Cardio isn't for everyone, and if you fall among those who aren't into sweat-dripping movements and high physicality, this quick 10-minute workout will build up your tolerance. The goal is to get at least 20 to 45 minutes of exercise three to five days a week, which has been scientifically proven to increase the amount of calories burned per day.

Once you've worked your way up to longer cardio sessions, try this 32-minute at-home workout (which isn't all jumping and running—we promise).

Before starting a new fitness regimen, please check with your physician.

More Workout Gear Recommendations

Next, These 15-Minute Workouts Will Give You the Best Results

This post was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.