When people think about losing weight, walking, running or cycling usually come to mind first. Those are good for you, but there’s another kind of activity that deserves a special place during treatment with a GLP-1 medication: strength training. If you’ve never lifted a weight in your life, this article is for you.

Here you’ll learn why strength matters while the weight is coming off, what health recommendations say and how to get started in a simple, safe way.

Why strength, and not just walking

When the body loses weight, part of what goes is lean mass, which includes muscle. That happens with any weight loss. And muscle matters: it helps you climb stairs, carry groceries, keep your balance and look after your metabolic health as the years go by.

Strength training is the signal that tells the body those muscles are still needed. A systematic review and meta-analysis published in 2018 pooled studies of older adults with obesity who were cutting calories. Its conclusion, stated right in the paper’s title, is that strength training helped prevent the muscle loss caused by the diet.

In the GLP-1 context, an advisory published in 2025 by American nutrition and obesity societies listed strength training, together with adequate protein, among the priorities for preserving lean mass during treatment.

What the recommendations say

The World Health Organization’s physical activity guidelines, published in 2020, recommend that adults do muscle-strengthening activities at moderate or greater intensity, working all major muscle groups, on two or more days a week. That’s in addition to aerobic activity, such as walking.

Two days a week may sound like little, and that’s exactly the good news: you don’t need to live at the gym to start getting the benefits.

Before you start

Talk with your doctor. Especially if you have high blood pressure, heart problems, joint pain or an injury, or if you haven’t exercised in a long time. They can tell you whether your situation calls for any special care.
If you can, get professional guidance. A fitness professional can help with your form, choose exercises and adjust the load.
Mind food and water. With a smaller appetite, training on a completely empty stomach may not feel good. A light snack with protein and a glass of water beforehand often helps. If you feel dizzy or unwell, stop and seek guidance.

How to take your first steps

There’s no single right way to start. What matters is starting light and progressing little by little.

Use your own body weight. Sit-to-stands from a chair, wall push-ups, step-ups and glute bridges on the floor are good starting points.
Bands and light weights work too. A water bottle or a bag of rice can stand in for a dumbbell at home.
Work your whole body. Legs, hips, back, chest, arms and core. You don’t have to do it all on the same day.
Quality over quantity. Controlled, unhurried movements with good form are worth more than lots of sloppy reps.
Progress gradually. When an exercise gets easy, add a few reps, a bit of load or one more set.
Respect rest. Muscles recover between workouts. That’s why it’s worth leaving a break between sessions for the same muscle group.

Normal discomfort and warning signs

Feeling a little sore a day or two after a new workout is common, and it tends to ease with practice. Severe pain, chest pain, unusual shortness of breath, dizziness or joint pain that doesn’t go away are reasons to stop and see your doctor.

Strength and protein go together

Training sends the signal, and protein provides the raw material to keep muscle. That’s why both show up together in the recommendations for people on GLP-1 treatment. Spreading protein sources across the day, such as eggs, beans, chicken, fish and dairy, helps your body make the most of your training.

Tracking your progress

The scale doesn’t show everything. It’s worth noting other wins: standing up from a chair more times, climbing the stairs without stopping, moving up to a stronger band. These notes show your strength is growing, and they’re great to bring to your appointment.

Start small, stay consistent and lean on the team that follows your treatment. The strength you build today makes a difference for many years.

Sources

Bull FC, et al. World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2020.
Sardeli AV, et al. Resistance Training Prevents Muscle Loss Induced by Caloric Restriction in Obese Elderly Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients, 2018.
Mozaffarian D, et al. Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: a joint Advisory. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2025.

Strength training for beginners during weight loss