Do I Need to Exercise While Using Weight Loss Injections?

Weight loss injections like Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Saxenda are transforming the way people manage obesity and excess weight. By reducing appetite and improving metabolic function, these medications make it easier to eat less and lose weight. But that leads many patients to ask the question: Do I still need to exercise while using weight loss injections?

At Junction Pharmacy, we believe in taking a holistic approach to weight management. While injections play a key role, building physical activity into your daily life can make a significant difference to your results, your health, and how you feel throughout the journey. In this article, we explore the role of exercise, the benefits it provides alongside medication, and how to develop a sustainable weight loss exercise plan.

Why Exercise Still Matters When Using Weight Loss Injections

Weight loss injections help by regulating appetite hormones and slowing digestion, leading to reduced food intake and a calorie deficit. However, exercise adds a range of benefits that medication alone cannot offer.

Firstly, regular movement helps preserve muscle mass while losing weight. Without resistance training or physical activity, the body can break down muscle alongside fat during a calorie deficit. Maintaining muscle is important for keeping your metabolism stable and preventing weight regain after the medication course ends.

Secondly, exercise improves cardiovascular health, insulin sensitivity, mood, energy, and sleep. It supports long-term behaviour change, builds confidence, and reinforces a healthy lifestyle that extends beyond the injection.

Lastly, studies show that patients who combine weight loss medications with exercise tend to lose more weight overall and are more likely to keep it off. So while the injections provide the physiological foundation, movement enhances and sustains your progress.

Types of Exercise to Support Weight Loss

A good weight loss exercise plan doesn’t have to mean hours in the gym. It’s about consistency and variety. The best approach is to combine different types of activity to support all aspects of health and fat loss.

Cardiovascular Exercise

Cardio helps increase your calorie burn and improve heart and lung function. Options include brisk walking, cycling, swimming, jogging, dancing, or even active housework. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio per week, such as 30 minutes five days a week.

Walking is a fantastic starting point for many patients, especially those returning to activity or dealing with joint pain. You can gradually increase pace or incline as your fitness improves.

Strength Training

Strength training helps maintain muscle mass, improve bone health, and support long-term weight control. It’s a crucial but often overlooked part of a balanced exercise plan.

This can include resistance bands, bodyweight exercises like squats and press-ups, or lifting weights. You don’t need to lift heavy – even twice a week of basic strength work can make a meaningful difference.

We often recommend starting with bodyweight movements at home and gradually building up confidence or seeking guidance from a personal trainer if needed.

Flexibility and Balance

Yoga, Pilates, and stretching routines support flexibility, reduce injury risk, and aid recovery. They’re also excellent for managing stress, which is a key factor in long-term weight maintenance.

These types of activity can be added to your weekly plan as recovery days or gentle movement options between higher intensity workouts.

How to Get Started Safely

If you’re new to exercise or haven’t been active in a while, it’s important to start slow and build up gradually. Begin with short walks or light exercises at home, focusing on consistency rather than intensity.

We recommend speaking to your GP before starting a new exercise routine, especially if you have existing health conditions. At Junction Pharmacy, we can also guide you on safe ways to begin, including activity options that complement your medication and lifestyle.

Setting small, realistic goals helps build momentum. For example, you might begin with a 15-minute walk after lunch three times a week, and slowly increase duration and frequency over time.

Support from Junction Pharmacy

As part of our personalised weight loss service, we help patients not only manage their medication, but also make lifestyle changes that last. We provide guidance on how to create a practical weight loss exercise plan tailored to your age, fitness level, and goals.

We can also help you:

• –> Monitor weight and body composition

• –> Track changes in energy and appetite

• –> Understand the link between muscle maintenance and metabolism

• –> Adjust your plan as your medication or health status evolves

If you’re using weight loss injections, movement is your partner in long-term success. It’s not about doing everything at once – it’s about making manageable changes that fit your life and support your health.

Visit Junction Pharmacy or book a consultation with our weight management team. Together, we’ll help you find the right balance of medication, food, and movement to reach your goals and maintain them.

This blog was written on behalf of Junction Pharmacy by Pharmacy Mentor.