Yoga sequence to activate the metabolism, regulate the hormonal system and burn more calories.

Simply explained, metabolism is the set of physiological processes that take place in our body to transform nutrients into energy. This energy will help you move and perform the "silent" functions required by your body at rest: breathing, balancing hormones, regulating digestion or making the circulatory system work. Metabolism is regulated, above all, by the endocrine system. If the endocrine system works optimally, the metabolism will be more efficient. Our metabolism is also directly related to the rate at which we burn calories and, of course, to weight control.

The practice of yoga can help us to boost metabolism and burn more calories at rest thanks to the work of muscle toning and performing asanas that positively affect the hormonal system. If your goal is to improve metabolism to control weight, with dynamic yoga styles such as Power, Ashtanga or Vinyasa, calorie burning will be intensified, as we combine strength and gentle aerobic work with the other benefits of this discipline.

As Gemma Casserras (@gemmyoga), Power Yoga teacher, says, yoga can act as a natural metabolism regulator: "Through a regular yoga practice we directly influence the endocrine system, since organs such as the thyroid, adrenal glands or pancreas are strengthened and toned; with the execution of certain asanas, relaxation and breathing techniques, we increase blood circulation in the body and more toxins are eliminated, promoting hormonal balance". "All of this directly impacts the metabolism, which becomes faster and more efficient," Gemma stresses.

In this post Gemma shows us a yoga sequence of only 20 minutes, easy and ideal to activate our metabolism, balance the hormonal system and burn more calories.

Metabolism and calorie burning

The word metabolism is often associated with weight or calorie burning. Indeed, metabolism determines the rate at which we burn calories. This is known as basal metabolic rate or basal metabolism. What keeps the metabolism active or boosts metabolism? General physical activity, strength training, eating a healthy diet with sufficient protein, getting enough sleep, managing stress and drinking enough water.

Although your metabolism determines the rate at which you convert food into energy, it is not the only culprit that makes you fat or makes it difficult for you to lose weight. Weight gain is directly related to the calories you consume and the calories you expend: if you take in more calories than you burn, you put on weight. But it is also true that the faster your metabolism, the more calories you can afford to consume. Of course, always of high quality.

Factors that influence metabolism

Why do some people have a faster metabolism than others? The key lies in our basal metabolism, that is, in the energy expenditure that is produced when our body is at rest and that it makes only to maintain our vital functions, without making any extra effort. If our energy expenditure is low, we will tend to burn few calories and accumulate fat (slow metabolism.) On the contrary, a fast metabolism will process nutrients faster and burn more calories (fast metabolism).

Genetics has a lot to do with our metabolism: there are genes that determine how we metabolize fats and sugars. But bad genetics can be greatly improved with good lifestyle habits. Taking care of our hormonal and digestive system, getting adequate rest, being active and keeping inflammation in the body at bay can improve any type of genetics.

Metabolism is also determined by gender and age: men have a higher basal metabolic rate because they have a higher percentage of muscle mass and need more energy, while women tend to have more fat mass because they have lower testosterone levels. On the other hand, with age, basal metabolism also tends to decrease due, above all, to a more sedentary lifestyle. Thus, physical exercise is one of the external factors that most help to have a good metabolism.

Diet also plays a key role in the state and speed of our metabolism: excessive consumption of simple carbohydrates and sugars favors a slow metabolism, while a diet rich in vitamins, fiber, proteins and healthy fats helps to speed it up. The key? Eat real, fresh, local and seasonal food. To make sure you're eating healthy, you can base your diet on the famous "Harvard Plate": have each of your dishes contain 50% raw or cooked vegetables, 25% protein and 25% healthy carbohydrates.

Do you want to know what your metabolism is like? Nowadays there are numerous genetic tests that can help you to know your metabolism to know what factors you have to modify especially to improve it.

3 keys to activate your metabolism

From what has been said above, you can already deduce the most important keys to positively influence your metabolism. We summarize them in three:

• Do strength training. If you want your metabolism to be faster, focus on increasing your muscle mass. Regular yoga practice will help you achieve this without bulking up. It is also important to move more in your daily life: walk to work, take a midday walk, climb stairs, take active breaks (series of squats or HIITS), dance at home...
• Eat healthy. Increase the consumption of fiber (fruits and vegetables) and quality proteins (eggs, fish, legumes, lean meats, dairy, vegetable protein), and reduce refined carbohydrates and sugars. Prioritize fresh foods and include fruits and vegetables in all your meals, including breakfast.
• Get plenty of rest and sleep. Your hormonal system can be greatly affected if you get too little sleep or stress. Poor or little sleep and chronic stress can lead to increased levels of cortisol and ghrelin (a hormone related to increased appetite), and decreased levels of leptin (a hormone related to the satiety effect). This hormonal imbalance can greatly affect your metabolism. Once again, yoga can be the ideal discipline to keep stress at bay and improve the quality of your sleep.

As you have seen, although our metabolism is largely determined by our genetics, our lifestyle habits have great power to improve it. Yoga, because of the work of muscle toning, pranayama, relaxation and the effect that some asanas have on the hormonal system, is an ideal discipline to get our metabolism to work better.