Have you made a decision to take weight loss medication? This is information for you with 3 easy steps to make sure you know why bone loading or resistance training is so important for you.
“It is not what happens tomorrow but what happens in 5 years that you have to worry about”
Weight loss medications such as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) (for example, liraglutide) offer a valuable tool to reduce body weight through appetite suppression and improved glycaemic regulation. In randomized clinical settings, combining structured exercise with GLP-1RA therapy resulted in greater reductions in total fat mass and waist circumference than medication alone, illustrating complementary benefits of physical activity in pharmacotherapy-assisted weight loss. Specifically, supervised exercise added to liraglutide treatment decreased body-fat percentage and supported better weight maintenance following treatment termination relative to pharmacotherapy alone, highlighting the importance of movement as part of sustainable health outcomes.
Resistance training (RT) is a form of exercise uniquely positioned to enhance weight loss outcomes by preserving or increasing lean muscle mass (fat-free mass, FFM). Controlled trials demonstrate that RT minimises the loss of FFM and resting energy expenditure during caloric restriction, compared with aerobic training or no structured resistance exercise. This preservation of muscle is clinically relevant because maintenance of muscle mass supports metabolic rate, physical function, strength, and long-term weight stability.
Maintaining muscle mass during pharmacologically induced weight loss is particularly important given evidence that GLP-1RAs can be associated with loss of both fat and lean tissue. By integrating resistance training, individuals can improve body composition outcomes (greater fat loss relative to lean mass loss) and support functional independence, confidence, and durable metabolic health. Integrating RT into weight loss regimens reflects an active, patient-centred approach that enhances overall wellbeing beyond scale-based measures.
OK!! What the hell does all that mean?
Three important points:
- If you take weight loss medication we will support you in developing a program to help KEEP as much muscle mass as possible!
- Why? Muscle mass, the amount and the strength of that muscle mass has been linked to quality of life as we age. So, its really important to keep!
- We will work with you whereever you start from. Please know that we will support you.
How do you have one of us write a program or do some coaching with you?
- Book in with one of our qualified and friendly Exercise Physiologists to help design a program for you.
- Start. We take you as you are and we want to help you improve. We will scale your program to fit your situation.
- We will program your journey with set check in points to support you and keep you accountable.