It is common knowledge that eating the right foods and exercising the right way are both key to losing weight, toning up and overall enhancing your health. What if I could tell you there was another trick that would help you boost your fat burning processes?
It doesn't cost you money, it isn't a fad an what's more it works..... cold therapy!
Cold therapy (applying ice or cold) isn't as grueling as it might sound and there are a number of benefits.
Hormonal Help
Adiponectin, a handy hormone that helps to break down fat when you are exposed to cold temperatures may certainly help you burn fat. Adiponectin also lowers your blood glucose via raising the rate ofmuscle uptake of glucose.
Metabolic Increases
When your body starts to shiver in an attemptto warm itself back up your bodykick-starts your metabolism too. This is to ensure that your core temp remains at a decent (safe)level too. In essence this results in the body burning off more kcal when it is cold.
Fasting
Did you know that exposing yourself to cold temperatures works in much the same way as intermittent fasting does, offers the same benefits as caloric restriction and may also increase the lifespan of your cells?
Activating Brown Fat
Typically speaking you have white fat and brown fat. White fat is fairly inactive, likes to be stored up (usually where you don't want it to be) and is an energy source used only when your energy levels are low and if you are literally in starvation mode. Brown fat however, which is activated/ stimulated by cold may increase your metabolism thereby helping you to burn off troublesome white fat.
Brown fat may be found around the neck, upper chest and clavicle regions specifically and unlike white fat cannot be seen (unless you have a very high-tech scanner). Brown fat has also been known to stop food energy being stored as fat 'for later" by being able to transfer energy from food direct to producing heat itself.
Clearly cryotherapy (cold therapy) does not replace eating well and exercising effectively however it might just give you the extra metabolic push you've been looking for and in a most natural way too.
You also don't need an expensive cryotherapy chamber session to enjoy the metabolism boosting benefits of the cold either (although if you have the budget and the opportunity I'd be curious to hear how you find the experience). Ice packs, particularly in those brown fat areas will certainly start the process off.