Biomarker 3 – Basal Metabolic Rate
“Metabolism” refers to the chemical processes in your body that build and destroy tissue and release energy, thereby generating heat. “Basal” means at baseline or at rest. So your basal metabolism is the rate of your body chemistry when your exertion is minimal. It’s usually measured just as you wake from sleep, which is about the same as when you’re sprawled out on, the sofa watching television.
Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) – or caloric expenditure at rest – falls with age. Study after study has tried to quantify the extent of this BMR slowdown. Researchers always came up with widely divergent figures until they realized that a person’s lean-body mass is the key to compiling a definitive figure.
OK – great news – but how do we combat it. Sounding a bit repetitious now? EXERCISE.
There is no substitute for exercise. If you want to stay healthy and slow down the ageing process then you have to exercise. OK there are some people who will struggle to walk and some who just can’t seem to get out of the chair. For them it may be too late but it has to be worth trying. Exercise is what gives you health and now it also seems to be a component in slowing down ageing.
By the way I’m not suggesting joining a gym or taking up running a half marathon every day. Exercise needs to be tailored to your level of health and fitness and needs to be appropriate to your age. You should seek guidance from your GP and take things slowly. Remember Rome wasn’t built in a day.
There are so many ideas and products touted to improve your health that the whole picture is confused. So I started thinking what are the top 10 free things you can do to protect or improve your health?