Ok, time to be honest. When was the last time you were in a gym? I hadn’t been in a gym in decades when I joined one recently. The good news is you don’t have to join a gym to exercise, but you need to do something for healthy weight loss.
A healthy young woman, showing off the body lifting free weights gave her.
If you’re like me, you’re not much of an athlete and you aren’t a fan of exercise. It can be uncomfortable and cause you to be self-conscious because you’re uncoordinated, or worried about what other people think, or embarrassed with how you look in your gym clothes. None of which are great incentives to exercise.
But since muscle loss is so common with GLP-1 medication, it is a necessity. Especially when you think about what muscle loss can mean.
Short Term Side Effects of Muscle Loss
- Slower Metabolism An immediate effect. Muscles that once metabolized fat are no longer present, resulting in fewer calories being burned. This results in slower weight loss and quicker regain.
- Skinny Fat Body It occurs when you have a low body weight but are composed of fat, which causes a flabby appearance.
Long Term Side Effects of Muscle Loss
- Slower Metabolism It makes weight gain more likely as there is less muscle available to burn fat.
- Decreased Strength and Stamina Lessens mobility and impacts your independence as you age.
- Metabolic Disease Can lead to the development of diseases like type 2 diabetes.
- Fractures More stress is put on the joints, and it contributes to reduced bone mineral density. Both can lead to a greater chance of fractures.
- Chronic Inflammation Can cause inflammation, which speeds up protein breakdown and reduces muscle protein synthesis. Overall, it also makes you more tired and less active due to pain.
- Fatty Tissue Weaker muscles fill with fatty tissue, which reduces their functionality despite appearing normal.
All of this is sort of scary. I don’t have that much muscle to begin with. I can’t afford to lose it and I don’t want to regain the weight I worked so hard to lose. Nor do I want to worry about diabetes, or broken bones and reduced mobility as I age.
Weight Baring/Strength Training Exercise
The good news is that exercise can counteract muscle loss. Primarily weight baring or strength training exercise.
What is weight baring or strength training exercise?
Exercise that uses:
Resistance bands
Free weights: dumbbells or kettlebells
Weight machines
Bodyweight: squats, lunges, push-ups, planks
You should consider strength training because it does everything you’re looking for in an exercise. It builds muscle mass, increases metabolism, improves functional strength, and can help increase bone density.
The good news is you don’t need to spend hours on end exercising. Both the American Cancer Society and the Mayo Clinic agree that significant health benefits, including increased muscle mass and improved strength, can be achieved in just two or three 20–30-minute strength training sessions per week.
All that sounds good to me.
What’s the catch?
You actually have to exercise.
Bodyweight Exercise
Okay, I looked at the list and laughed. If I could do squats, lunges, pushups, and planks, I wouldn’t need to take a GLP-1 med. Needless to say, I will not be doing bodyweight exercises. However, it is a great way to build strength and muscle, and you can do it just about anywhere. A routine is usually only 20-30 minutes, and there are several online guides.
Weight Machines
Weight machines are something I’ve just started, so I don’t have a firm opinion about them. I was a little hesitant to begin, but it’s going well so far. They have a lot of advantages because they’re designed to ensure safety and promote proper form while isolating muscle groups. Better yet, a beginner can do it. It’s also an efficient way to build muscle. The Mayo Clinic has found that a single set of 12-15 repetitions taken to muscle fatigue can build muscle. The key is controlled movement and reaching fatigue safely, not lifting the heaviest possible weight.
Free Weights
Free weights have potential. Not that I have a dumbbell or know what a kettlebell is. But I do have wrist weights and small free weights. And it’s something I can do at home if I don’t have time to go to the gym.
Free weight lifting is easy to do at any level of physical fitness.
The main hurdle for me in choosing free weights is figuring out a workout routine. The good news is that there are a ton of articles and videos online to help you. One caveat. I read through Women’s Health Magazine’s routine online and it looks great – if I could actually do a squat while holding a weight.
Almost every exercise includes squats or lunges, or something equally unlikely given my current physical fitness. If I want to do free weights, I’m going to have to modify the exercises to fit my physical capabilities. One more thing: if you look at the list and the pictures of the exercises, don’t let it discourage you. Scroll down past the first sets, and you’ll find several exercises that look much more reasonable and doable.
Resistance Bands
As far as resistance bands go, I only vaguely know what they are or what to do with them. You stretch them? And they might involve a door? The good news is that there are a ton of videos on YouTube that can teach you what to do with a resistance band. There are also guides that you can download. All it takes is a Google search.
What I learned on my trip through Google was that a resistance band routine is pretty simple. You target major muscle groups (legs, back, shoulders, core) and perform 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps per exercise, of which you only need 5 to 7. You’re supposed to use different band resistance levels to challenge yourself, and allow 60 to 90 seconds rest between sets for maximum strength and endurance. Sounds simple, right? Yeah… I still don’t know what to do. I am definitely going to have to watch some videos.
Walking
If all of this sounds overwhelming and you don’t know where to begin, go for a walk. Start by walking for 5 minutes. Just walk down the block and back. No pressure. All you’re looking for here is movement. Any is good when you’re getting started. Each day walk a few more steps and before you know it, you’re walking 10 minutes, then 15. The goal is to move your body.
Low Impact Exercises
There are other low-impact exercises that might way to get started. They can help you get in touch with your body and could motivate you long-term to try something else once you’re comfortable and more experienced with exercise. The catch is being able to do the exercise. The goods news is you can modify just about every activity and there are plenty of guides online to help you.
Yoga – Focus is on flexibility, balance, and improved posture. It can reduce the risk of injury as you are working on strengthening your muscles. It functions as resistance training, even though it’s very low impact. Chair yoga might be the way to start out because you don’t have to get on the floor. Check Google and YouTube.
Pilates – Known for improving core strength, stability, and overall body awareness. It helps increase flexibility and muscle tone without adding stress to the joints. It’s also considered a low-impact form of resistance training. Chair Pilates exists, and again, you won’t have to get on the floor. Check Google and YouTube.
Tai Chi – Low-impact exercise that focuses on balance, strength, and flexibility. It is known as “meditation in motion” as it’s a practice combining slow, flowing, choreographed movement with deep breathing and focused intention. Chair Tai Chi exists too. Check Google and YouTube.
Low Impact Exercise and Cardio
Bicycling – Low-impact exercise that strengthens your leg muscles and improves endurance. A recumbent bike might be easier to use.
Water walking – Low-impact exercise that provides a full-body workout, as it builds strength, flexibility, and burns calories. The water’s buoyancy reduces body weight while providing resistance without stressing the joints. Also, provides a cardiovascular workout, and helps improve circulation and reduces inflammation. I started with this, and while I was self-conscious at first, I quickly overcame it. It’s strengthened my legs and back, and I’ve become more confident about exercising.
Swimming – Low-impact, full-body workout that strengthens the heart and lungs, builds muscle, and burns calories while putting minimal stress on joints.
As you can see, there are several options available for someone just starting out. My advice is to pick an exercise and force yourself to figure it out. If it doesn’t work, don’t be discouraged. Pick another one from the list and try again. At the very least, go for a walk. Any movement is good movement. You just need to get started.
The key here is to give your muscles a workout. Weight-bearing exercise is your best choice for muscle retention or even to build muscle. Whether you lift weights or use resistance bands, or work your way up to them – do something – so you don’t end up with a ‘skinny-fat’ body or regain all the weight once you stop taking the medication. Remember, muscle burns fat, which is what you want now, but you also want to maintain it for the rest of your life to ensure a good quality of life as you age.
My GLP-1 Life 
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