Ready to step into a healthier routine? Walking is an accessible, effective way to maintain muscle, improve overall fitness, and build sustainable, long-term weight-loss habits — without putting excessive strain on your body.
Can you exercise on Ozempic? The answer is a resounding yes — exercise and GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound make a powerful team for weight loss and blood sugar regulation. While these medications have revolutionized weight management, they work best when combined with lifestyle changes, including a nutrient-dense diet and regular physical activity.
Pairing GLP-1 medications with exercise is essential because staying active helps preserve lean muscle mass, especially when supported by a protein-rich diet. The good news? Your GLP-1-friendly workout can start with something as simple as low-impact walking. Walking is an accessible, effective way to maintain muscle, improve overall fitness and build sustainable, long-term weight-loss habits — without putting excessive strain on your body.
Ready to step into a healthier routine? Lace up your shoes and take that first step toward lasting results!
The Benefits of Low-Impact Walking
Going to the gym and lifting heavy weights is not the only way to boost your metabolism and preserve lean muscle mass. Resistance training is certainly a beneficial part of an overall exercise plan, but it may not be the best option for many. Exercise is not a one-size-fits-all weight-loss strategy. An important and often overlooked form of exercise is low-impact walking.
Walking at a moderate pace (three to four-and-a-half miles per hour) does more than just get you moving — it activates muscles, improves circulation and helps preserve lean muscle mass. Unlike jogging or running, low-impact walking is gentle on the joints while still providing a great cardiovascular workout.
Whether you're transitioning from a sedentary lifestyle or looking for a joint-friendly way to stay active, walking is an excellent choice. It can also support mobility and long-term movement, reducing the risk of future mobility issues and helping you maintain an independent, active lifestyle. With every step, you're investing in your health — no impact required!
The benefits of low-impact walking include:
· Preserving lean muscle mass: The act of walking engages large muscle groups such as the leg, glutes, hips and core muscles. Walking can mitigate muscle atrophy and can help with balance and coordination.
· Keeping your metabolism active: As we walk, we are building muscle, which in turns stimulates our metabolism and facilitates a higher metabolic rate.
· Building a sustainable weight loss habit: Long-term, sustainable lifestyle changes are important for weight loss success. Walking is an easy habit to maintain because we do it every day — so making small adjustments like parking farther from the building, or taking a 15-minute walk after meals, can lay the foundation for a more active lifestyle.
How to Add Walking to Your Day-to-Day Schedule
The CDC recommends that adults aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week — that’s just 30 minutes a day, five days a week. As with any new habit, start small and build gradually. Set realistic daily goals, such as walking for 10 to 15 minutes each day for a week. Then, increase by five to 10 minutes per week until you reach the 150-minute goal. Small, consistent steps lead to lasting progress!
When it comes to low-impact walking, be S.M.A.R.T. with your goals:
· Specific: Define a clear, actionable goal, such as walking 10,000 steps per day.
· Measurable: Track your progress using a pedometer, smartwatch or fitness tracker to stay accountable.
· Achievable: Set a realistic starting point, such as 500, 1,000 or 1,500 steps per day, and gradually increase over time.
· Relevant: Understand why walking matters to you — whether it’s improving fitness, preserving lean muscle, managing blood glucose, or having the stamina to explore a new city or keep up with your grandkids.
· Time-Bound: Set a realistic deadline. If you’re new to walking, don’t expect to hit 10,000 steps overnight. Instead, aim to build up over 30 days or a timeframe that fits your lifestyle and abilities.
Additional ways to incorporate more walking into your day include:
· Park farther from your office building
· Take the stairs instead of the elevator
· Schedule time to walk each day
· Listen to a podcast, music or book while you walk
· Catch up with a friend or family member on the phone
· Ask your neighbor if you could walk their dog
The Importance of Preserving Muscle Mass during Active Weight Loss
Exercise on Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications is important because as we lose weight, we are losing fat mass and lean muscle mass. Because muscle is metabolically active, it burns calories even while we are at rest. This means that the more muscle mass we have, the higher our resting metabolic rate is.
Our metabolic rate is the rate at which our bodies burn energy. When lean muscle mass is lost during active weight, it our metabolic rate slows. Because GLP-1 medications reduce appetite (and subsequently caloric intake), they can amplify the speed at which our metabolic rate slows, and lean muscle mass is lost. This is why it is so important to pair physical activity with lean protein while taking a GLP-1 medication.
The Importance of Lean Protein during Active Weight Loss
If you have been taking a GLP-1 medication for weight loss, you might already be following a “Zepbound” diet plan and exercise plan. But if you are new to a GLP-1 medication — or have just started paying more attention to your eating habits — protein is a good dietary anchor.
Protein is an essential macronutrient that provides energy and plays a crucial role in preserving muscle and bone health — both of which are vital for movement, balance and overall functionality. For individuals taking GLP-1 weight loss medications, maintaining muscle mass is especially important to support strength, mobility and long-term health. A protein-rich diet helps ensure you can continue performing everyday activities like standing, sitting, climbing stairs, carrying groceries and keeping up with your kids or grandkids.
Protein needs are variable and correlated with your specific needs and influenced by personal characteristics such as age, gender, weight and activity level. It’s important to consult with your physician or healthcare provider to determine your individual protein needs while taking a GLP-1 medication. A healthcare professional can help you create a personalized nutrition plan to support muscle preservation, energy levels, and overall well-being while on your weight loss journey.
Meeting your recommended daily intake (RDA) of protein through meals alone can be challenging, especially with busy schedules and shifting priorities. Supplementing your diet with high-protein snacks as part of a GLP-1 nutrition support kit can help you achieve your weight loss and management goals. Protein snacks, including protein bars, can offer valuable GLP-1 nutrition support and act as an effective companion to your GLP-1 regimen. Choosing the right snack is crucial, so be sure to carefully review the ingredients and nutritional information when selecting protein bars and snacks.
Biocare high-protein bars, for instance, are scientifically designed to maximize nutritional density, helping you meet your daily needs for both macronutrients and micronutrients. For optimal GLP-1 nutrition support, pairing Biocare protein bars and snacks with Biocare beverages is ideal. While these protein snacks are packed with protein, they are designed to complement, not replace, the full nutritional profile found in Biocare beverages, which include specialized ingredients for those on GLP-1 medications.
Biocare’s nutrient-dense dietary beverages are specifically formulated to counteract nutritional deficiencies often associated with weight loss medications. These beverages contain probiotics and prebiotic fiber to promote gut health, along with ingredients that help manage GLP-1 side effects. The beverages also include high-quality whey protein to support lean muscle mass, and two servings provide 100% of the recommended daily intake of 26 essential vitamins and minerals.
The Biocare Protein Meal Plan will show you how to incorporate the beverages into your GLP-1 meal planning, using example targets of 60, 90 and 120 grams of protein per day. Additional resources include Biocare’s GLP-1 grocery list and Protein Calculator.
Prior to starting any weight loss program, whether it includes anti-obesity medication or not, be sure to consult with your healthcare provider to make sure your desired weight loss strategy is right for you.
About the Author: Dr. Dawn M. Sweet has over 20 years of experience in the field of communication. Dr. Sweet has given several invited talks to and workshops for academic and private sector audiences on the role of nonverbal and verbal communication in achieving positive outcomes and mitigating bias. Her research has been published in several top ranked peer-review journals, and it has been featured on NPR’s River to River / All Things Considered, Buzzfeed, and Science Daily. Her research has also been used to inform expert testimony.
