Getting lighter and getting stronger are different outcomes. If you are taking a GLP-1-based medicine, the scales can tell you that your weight is changing. They cannot tell you whether you are maintaining the strength to climb stairs, lift shopping or get up from a chair.
Protein is part of the nutrition plan. Resistance training gives your muscles a physical challenge to adapt to. The 2025 joint advisory on nutrition during GLP-1 therapy recommends combining adequate protein with structured strength training, rather than relying on protein alone. [1]
This companion to our article on GLP-1 medicines, muscle and protein explains the exercise evidence and offers a practical starting framework.
Why resistance training matters
Resistance training means making your muscles work against a load. That might be your body weight, a resistance band, a machine or a dumbbell. A chair stand and a weighted squat are different versions of a familiar task: producing enough force to stand up. [2]
Muscle mass, strength and physical performance need separate attention. Under the EWGSOP2 framework, low strength indicates probable sarcopenia; low muscle quantity or quality confirms it, and poor physical performance indicates severe sarcopenia. A fall in DXA-measured lean mass alone is not that diagnosis. [3]
This is why an exercise plan should aim for useful physical capacity, alongside any body-composition goals.
What does the research actually show?
Evidence during diet-induced weight loss
A 2017 randomised trial in older adults with obesity compared exercise approaches during dietary weight loss. Lean mass fell by approximately 2% with resistance exercise and 3% with combined aerobic and resistance exercise, compared with 5% with aerobic exercise. Strength improved more in the resistance and combined groups. [4]
This supports resistance exercise during weight reduction. It also shows why “protecting muscle” should not be interpreted as a guarantee that no lean mass will be lost. These participants were not undergoing a GLP-1 treatment trial.
Evidence alongside GLP-1 treatment
In the S-LiTE trial, adults who had completed an initial low-calorie diet were assigned to exercise, liraglutide, both, or placebo for one year. The combined intervention improved healthy weight-loss maintenance more than either treatment alone. [5]
However, this was a supervised exercise programme using a particular medicine. It does not establish that the home routine below prevents sarcopenia, or that its results transfer directly to every GLP-1-based therapy.
What current strength guidance adds
The American College of Sports Medicine’s 2026 guidance supports regular training of major muscle groups, using options including bands, body weight and gym equipment. Training to complete muscular failure and complicated programming are not necessary for the average healthy adult to benefit. These recommendations concern generally healthy adults, rather than a GLP-1-specific patient group. [6]
How often should you train, and how hard?
Australian movement guidelines recommend muscle-strengthening activity on two or more days each week. A practical starting schedule is Monday and Thursday, allowing recovery between sessions. Continue other suitable movement, including walking, across the week. [7]
A repetition is one complete movement. A set is a group of repetitions. As training becomes familiar, 8 to 12 controlled repetitions is a common general range; beginners can start with fewer and build gradually. [2]
Choose a level that feels manageable while learning the movement. As confidence develops, the final repetitions should require effort without losing control. You do not need to test your maximum lift or push to the point where another repetition is impossible. [6]
A beginner routine you can build on
Begin with a few minutes of easy movement. Use a stable chair without wheels on a non-slip surface, keep the area clear and have water available. Start with one set of each suitable exercise, resting until you feel ready to continue. [8] [9]
1. Sit to stand
Start with 5 repetitions. Sit with both feet flat. Lean slightly forward, stand up and sit down slowly. Use support if needed. Choose a chair height that lets you move comfortably. [9]
2. Wall press-up
Start with 5 repetitions. Place your hands on a wall at chest height. Bend your elbows to move your body towards the wall, then press away. Keep the movement controlled. [9]
3. Resistance-band row
Start with 5 to 8 repetitions. Using a securely fitted band, draw your elbows back towards your sides, then return slowly. Ask a qualified trainer to demonstrate the setup and technique. [6]
4. Supported backward leg lift
Start with 5 repetitions per side. Hold a stable support. Move one straight leg gently backwards without arching your back. Return slowly, then change sides. [9]
5. Supported calf raise
Start with 5 repetitions. Hold a stable support, raise both heels, then lower slowly. Keep the support while you practise. [9]
This is an introductory exercise selection, not a complete long-term prescription. A professional can add or adapt movements to cover your needs and make the resistance sufficient as you improve.
Progress gradually and record what changes
First make the movements familiar. Then increase repetitions, add another set, or use slightly more resistance as appropriate. Change one variable at a time, and reduce the challenge if technique deteriorates. The aim is repeatable training you can recover from. [6]
Keep a simple record: exercise, resistance, repetitions and how the session felt. Note everyday tasks too, such as whether stairs or chair stands feel easier. Improvement in a training log is useful feedback, but does not independently measure muscle mass or diagnose sarcopenia. [3]
If you are getting noticeably weaker, struggling with tasks that were previously manageable or recovering poorly, take that pattern to your treating team.
Food, symptoms and recovery still matter
A smaller appetite does not remove your need for adequate nutrition. Discuss daily protein and energy needs with an Accredited Practising Dietitian, especially if meals are becoming difficult to finish. Regular dietary review is more useful than assuming a supplement will cover every shortfall. [1]
A high-protein meal replacement can be one practical food option within that plan. NutraSupplement® provides 30g+ protein per 52g serve. Its nutrition profile does not establish that it prevents medication-related muscle loss or replaces exercise.
Formulated Meal Replacement. Consume as part of a healthy diet involving a variety of foods. It must not be used as a total diet replacement.
Do not push through feeling unwell. Stop exercise if you develop pain, dizziness or unusual breathlessness, and seek appropriate medical advice. If symptoms are disrupting eating, drinking or activity, discuss them with your prescriber. [8]
Common questions
Is walking enough?
Walking is useful activity, but a balanced plan also includes muscle-strengthening work. Australian guidance recommends both general physical activity and strengthening activities. [7]
Do I need a gym?
No. Home exercises and bands are valid options. The resistance needs to remain appropriate as you improve. [6]
Should every session leave me sore?
Soreness is not the goal. Focus on controlled movement, recovery and gradual progress rather than making each workout harder at any cost.
Can this guarantee that all the weight I lose is fat?
No. Even the resistance-training weight-loss trial recorded some lean-mass reduction. The goal is better strength, function and body composition, not a promise of zero tissue loss. [4]
A useful starting commitment: two manageable strength sessions, an individual nutrition plan and a record of how your strength changes.
Sources
- Mozaffarian D et al. Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity. Joint advisory, 2025.
- NHS. How to improve your strength and flexibility. Reviewed July 2026.
- Cruz-Jentoft AJ et al. Sarcopenia: revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis. Age and Ageing. 2019;48:16–31.
- Villareal DT et al. Aerobic or resistance exercise, or both, in dieting obese older adults. New England Journal of Medicine. 2017;376:1943–1955.
- Lundgren JR et al. Healthy weight loss maintenance with exercise, liraglutide, or both combined. New England Journal of Medicine. 2021;384:1719–1730.
- American College of Sports Medicine. Updated resistance-training guidance. March 2026. Underlying position stand.
- Australian Government. Movement recommendations for adults aged 18 to 64 years. June 2026. Older-adult recommendations.
- NHS. Strength and Flex exercise videos and exercise safety information.
- NHS. Home strength exercises. Reviewed February 2024. Exercise examples adapted; the assembled routine above is not an NHS GLP-1 programme.
