7 Exercises That Will Boost Your Metabolism

Metabolism is a pro cheerleader’s best friend to achieving her fitness goals long after the workout is over.

But as we age, metabolism decreases, it becomes harder to maintain muscle tone, and to lose weight.

But good news, we can boost our metabolic rate doing things like getting a good night’s rest, drinking more cold water, eating spicy food, and tweaking our workout routines a bit.

In today’s post, we will focus on exercises you can do at the gym or at home that will keep your body burning calories even at rest. Dig in.

1. HIIT Treadmill Workout

We say it over and over in this blog because high-intensity interval training works to elevate your body’s metabolic rate through bursts of intense activities.

It’s a good thing for you because now you can have shorter workouts as long as you put in all the work during those few minutes.

Here’s a sample 22-minute HIIT workout you can do on a treadmill:

5 minutes Warm-up (light jog at 3mph)
3 minutes run at 7mph
2 minutes jog at 5.5mph
3 minutes at 7mph
2 minutes at 5.5mph
3 minutes - 7mph
4 minutes cool down walk

Make it your own:

So with any HIIT workout, the secret is to do a longer burst of activity followed by a short period of rest.

Go from being almost out of breath to being able to carry a conversation in 3 minutes-2 minutes or 1 minute-30 seconds.

2. Lifting heavier weights

Pro cheerleaders should not be afraid of weight-lifting to boost metabolism. You’d have to do an insane amount of heavy weight-lifting to bulk up.

So to start, shift your focus from increasing your reps to lifting heavier weights. Aim for weights that you can only lift for 12 to 16 reps max.

Here’s a sample workout with a combination of three different exercises.

5 rounds of each exercise, 12 to 16 reps each, with minimal break in between rounds. Ready? Go!

Dumbbell Goblet Squats

Stand upright. Hold one dumbbell close to your chest while engaging your core.
Squat down where hips sit below the knees.
Exhale as you go back to a standing position.

Dumbbell Push Presses

Stand upright, holding both dumbbells up in the air.
Bend your knees and keep your back straight.
Push into your heels to go back to an upright position, both dumbbells still above your head.
Engage your core and glutes at all times.

Bent-over dumbbell rows

Start in an upright position with one dumbbell in each hand.
Bend forward in a 45-degree angle.
Inhale while extending your arms down.
Exhale as you bring the dumbbells back towards your chest.

3. Mountain Climbers

Up next is a full-body workout that will test a pro cheerleader’s endurance. The faster you alternate between legs, the better.

So start in a pushup-plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders, shoulders over your wrists.

Bring one knee to your chest, alternating both legs.

4. Sprinter Burpees

For a heart-pumping activity, leverage on your usual burpees.

So from an upright position, squat down and place both hands on the floor.

Quickly kick your feet behind you, chest toward the ground.

Jump both feet forward so they are directly in front of your hands.

Now instead of jumping up with your hands in the air like a typical burpee, jump into a sprinter’s position in the air: front knee in front of you, other leg’s heel towards your butt.

Alternate which leg goes in front every time you come into this position.

5. Running Lunge with Jumps

Boost your typical lunges with this workout:

From an upright position, go down to a lunge with your right leg back and the left leg bent.

Come up and bring your right leg towards your chest.

Insert a quick jump on your left leg and go back to a lunge.

Aim for 12 reps for each leg.

6. Jumping ropes

Up next is a 25-minute fat-torching exercise with seven different moves on a jump rope.

Do each move for one minute and switch to the next move without resting.

After completing the 7 moves, rest for 2 minutes.

Repeat the cycle three times or as many as you can.

Reminder, use your wrists to twirl the rope. Ready? Jump!

Singles

The typical, jump off the ground with both feet.

One-foot alternating singles

Hop on one foot at a time.

Multiples

Do two single jumps on your right foot, then two single jumps on your left foot. Increase the number of single jumps on each foot at every turn. (Three jumps, four jumps, five jumps)

Wide-outs

Start in an upright position, jump out, spreading your feet wide. Then, cross your feet as you jump back in.

Cross-country skiers

Jump forward on your left foot, then jump backward on your right foot.

Alternate which foot jumps forward and back.

High-knees

As you jump, lift one knee toward your chest. Bring it down and lift the other knee towards your chest as you jump again.

Butt kickers

Kick your left heel towards your butt, bring it down, and then kick the other heel.

7. Squat Jumps

The last one is an easier take on the burpee. This time, you won’t have to go down on the floor.

To maximize this workout, drop down to the lowest squat possible.

Then jump up, fully straight throughout your spine as you reach for the sky.

Drop back to a squat without resting.

This workout should boost fat-burning activity in your legs and butt.

Make it Count

Pro cheerleaders who are trying to achieve their fitness goals but find it hard because of a slower metabolism can turn to these workouts.

Keep in mind to drink cold water before your session as this can further boost your endurance and stamina before you workout.

Don’t forget to check out our post on the best foods to eat before, during, and after your workout. Cheers!

Need a Great Workout Routine for Your Pro Cheer Audition Prep?

Pro cheerleaders stay fit, flexible, and strong so they can give out their best performance in the arena. However, achieving that wow-worthy, toned physique doesn’t happen overnight. You need to arm yourself with the right daily workouts.

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