Learn how to increase resting metabolic rate naturally by building lean muscle, preserving metabolism, and tracking body composition with a Dexa Scan.
Your resting metabolic rate, often called RMR, is the number of calories your body burns at rest to maintain basic functions like breathing, circulation, and cell repair. It accounts for the majority of daily calorie expenditure for most people.
If you want to improve fat loss, maintain a healthy body composition, or support long-term metabolic health, understanding how to increase resting metabolic rate naturally is critical.
This article explains how RMR works, what influences it, and how to improve it through sustainable strategies backed by accurate body composition tracking with a Dexa Scan.
Several factors influence RMR:
The most powerful modifiable factor is lean muscle mass. The more metabolically active tissue you have, the more calories you burn at rest.
Muscle tissue requires energy to maintain, even when you are not moving.
Increasing lean mass through resistance training:
Preserving muscle during dieting is equally important. Losing lean mass lowers metabolic rate and makes fat regain more likely.
Tracking lean mass with a Dexa Scan ensures muscle is increasing or being preserved appropriately.
Resistance training stimulates muscle growth and increases metabolic demand.
Focus on:
Over time, consistent strength training builds structural tissue that elevates RMR naturally.
Severe calorie restriction can lower resting metabolic rate.
When calories drop too low:
A moderate deficit supports fat loss without sacrificing lean mass or suppressing metabolism.
Protein supports muscle preservation and growth.
Adequate protein intake:
Maintaining muscle directly supports resting metabolic rate.
Chronic stress and poor sleep can disrupt metabolic regulation.
Elevated cortisol levels and sleep deprivation:
Improving sleep quality supports hormonal balance and metabolic efficiency.
While resting metabolic rate refers to calories burned at rest, overall energy balance is influenced by total daily movement.
Increasing non-exercise activity:
Combining strength training with daily movement creates a stronger metabolic foundation.
Resting metabolic rate is strongly influenced by body composition.
Higher lean mass supports:
Excess fat mass, especially visceral fat, can impair metabolic health and hormone regulation.
A Dexa Scan provides:
This allows you to see whether strategies are truly improving your metabolic foundation.
The scan itself takes about six minutes, making it efficient for routine monitoring.
To monitor metabolic improvements effectively:
Long gaps between scans make it difficult to identify whether metabolism-supporting strategies are working.
Full body composition Dexa scans are not covered by insurance, making them a proactive investment in long-term metabolic health.
The most effective natural ways to increase resting metabolic rate are:
Metabolism is not fixed. It responds to structural and behavioral changes.
Tracking body composition gives you objective feedback on whether your metabolic engine is improving over time.
If you want to increase your resting metabolic rate naturally, understanding your lean mass and fat distribution is essential. Kalos provides advanced Dexa Scan services to help you measure muscle, fat, and bone with precision.
Schedule your scan today, your journey to data-driven fitness starts now.
Bay Area residents trust Kalos to deliver results. We proudly serve the entire Bay Area including the following locations:
