Recently I was doing some fall cleaning and came across an old issue of Prevention magazine and saw: The Ultimate Over 40 Fat Fighter. According to Prevention a person can speed up her metabolism to reverse a slowing metabolism by combining a “blend of calorie-blasting and supercharged strength-training to burn more calories than you did in your 20’s.” This sure sounds promising.

The plan raises your core body temperature and increases the activity of fat-burning enzymes, says Chip Harrison, exercise physiologist, director of strength and fitness at Pennsylvania State University, and co-author of The Female Athlete.  The basic guidelines are:

1. Commit to doing some cardio daily, alternating with three different routines to maximize fat burning.
2. Three times a week during your cardio, alternate with two minute bursts of high intensity with two minute bouts of moderate intensity.
3. Three times a week, warm-up for five minutes then do a 20 minute steady cardio, keeping your heart rate in the aerobic zone, then slow for three more minutes.
 4. One time a week do a 60 minute endurance builder. Start with a five minute warm-up then do a moderate intensity for the rest of the hour.
 5. Three times a week when you are performing the steady cardio, do 20 more minutes of a high energy dumbbell routine.