--- title: 5 Quick Ways to Boost Your Metabolism description: How to burn the most amount of calories with the least amount of work canonical: https://time.com/4266565/metabolism-boost-tricks/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-03-24T12:00:36.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T16:05:10.255Z article:section: Health og:title: 5 Quick Ways to Boost Your Metabolism og:description: How to burn the most amount of calories with the least amount of work og:url: https://time.com/4266565/metabolism-boost-tricks/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte162a929fbcaaeba/69888be30b72e3a7d06e89f5/water-glass.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: water-glass og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 5 Quick Ways to Boost Your Metabolism twitter:description: How to burn the most amount of calories with the least amount of work twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte162a929fbcaaeba/69888be30b72e3a7d06e89f5/water-glass.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 5 Quick Ways to Boost Your Metabolism ## Video: Should I Drink Seltzer Water? [Watch (HLS stream): Should I Drink Seltzer Water?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/SSdTN2EQ.m3u8) (1:30)  _Published 2015-02-04. Seltzer -- also known as bubbly water, carbonated water, soda water and sparkling water -- comes with as many health myths as it does names. Luckily, seltzer is one of the rare instances where something you love drinking isn’t bad for you._ by [Cynthia Sass / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Cynthia Sass / Health.com Mar 24, 2016 12:00 PM UTC  Close-up of a glass of water Close-up of a glass of waterGetty Images by [Cynthia Sass / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Cynthia Sass / Health.com Mar 24, 2016 12:00 PM UTC Good news: There are tried-and-true tricks to maximize your burn from a.m. to p.m. (without disrupting your lifestyle). Take advantage of these five easy power-up hacks. **1\. Don’t sit still** Fidget, stand, and chew gum; these types of activities, termed NEAT (nonexercise activity thermogenesis), have been shown to help torch an extra 300 to 2,000 calories per day. **_Health.com_**_:_ [_20 Ways to Torch 200 Calories_](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20395219,00.html?xid=time) **2\. Become a fan of green tea** Studies indicate that green tea can increase metabolic rate by 4 to 5%. Feel free to go for seconds—it has only 2 calories per cup (sans sweetener, of course). **3\. Drink more water** A German study discovered that downing two 8-ounce glasses of H2O improved calorie burning by 30% in as little as 10 minutes, and the effect lasted for more than an hour. **_Health.com_**_:_ [_17 Ways to Burn More Calories All Day_](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20911507,00.html?xid=time) **4\. Pucker up** Add fresh lemon juice to your tea or water—it’s loaded with vitamin C. Arizona State University researchers found that exercisers who don’t get enough C may zap 25% fewer calories during a workout. **5\. Get silly** A classic study published in the _International Journal of Obesity_ revealed that laughing sparks a small increase in calorie burning. (We did the math: Fifteen giggly minutes melts up to 40 calories!) _Cynthia Sass is a nutritionist and registered dietitian with master’s degrees in both nutrition science and public health. Frequently seen on national TV, she’s Health’s contributing nutrition editor, and privately counsels clients in New York, Los Angeles, and long distance. Cynthia is currently the sports nutrition consultant to the New York Yankees, previously consulted for three other professional sports teams, and is board certified as a specialist in sports dietetics. Sass is a three-time New York Times best-selling author, and her newest book is Slim Down Now: Shed Pounds and Inches with Real Food, Real Fast. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest._ [_This article originally appeared on Health.com_](http://news.health.com/2016/03/15/5-metabolism-boosting-tricks-that-work-for-life/?xid=time) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4266565/metabolism-boost-tricks/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4266565/metabolism-boost-tricks/"},"headline":"5 Quick Ways to Boost Your Metabolism","datePublished":"2016-03-24T12:00:36.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T16:05:10.255Z","description":"How to burn the most amount of calories with the least amount of work","url":"https://time.com/4266565/metabolism-boost-tricks/","keywords":["Exercise & Fitness","Healthcare","metabolism","Diet & Nutrition","2017 Weight Loss","Food Facts","Evergreen"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte162a929fbcaaeba/69888be30b72e3a7d06e89f5/water-glass.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Cynthia Sass / Health.com"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte162a929fbcaaeba/69888be30b72e3a7d06e89f5/water-glass.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"water-glass","caption":"water-glass","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/exercisefitness/","name":"Exercise & Fitness"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4266565/metabolism-boost-tricks/","name":"5 Quick Ways to Boost Your Metabolism"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Should I Drink Seltzer Water?","description":"Seltzer -- also known as bubbly water, carbonated water, soda water and sparkling water -- comes with as many health myths as it does names. 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