When it comes to using up excess calories, the rule is extremely simple: the more you exercise, the more calories you burn. However, there are a few things about calorie burning that most of us don't know – things that are bound to help us get a better understanding of the amount of effort we need to undertake in order to lose weight, model our bodies and reach our desired physical shape. The first thing we need to understand is that there are no cheats in this business – no drugs we can take to speed up our metabolism without going through the physical strain of actually working out.

The best thing you can do is to find between 20 minutes to half an hour every day and take a brisk walk. What many of us don't know is that exercise is the gift that keeps on giving, so to say – which means that even after the physical exercise as such is over and we stop walking, jogging or cycling, our bodies will go on burning calories for up to 24 hours. Building muscle mass is another excellent idea – because obviously, exercising means using your muscles and, believe it or not, muscle tissue burns more calories (even when we're resting) than body fat. "The most effective way to increase metabolism and burn more calories is by aerobic exercise and strength training. Both are important," a researcher with the School of Nutrition and Exercise Science at Bastyr University tells WebMD.

As we get older, our metabolism tends to slow down, and consequently we will have to put in more exercise and add regular strength training in order to work the thighs, abdomen, chest, and arm muscles. Another thing we can do to increase our calorie burning rate is to drink green or black tea: both of them are rich in caffeine, stimulate muscle activity and boost our metabolism. "Studies have suggested that 250 milligrams of caffeine consumed with a meal can increase the calories spent metabolizing the meal by 10%," says Jamie Pope, a nutrition lecturer at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing in an interview with WebMD. "About 75 calories per day translates to over 2,100 calories in a month's time.