When people think about losing weight, they often think about eating less and doing more cardio. But there’s another important piece of the puzzle: muscle.
Our metabolism is essentially all the energy our body uses to keep us alive and functioning — breathing, circulating blood, digesting food, regulating temperature, moving and repairing our tissues.
And muscle plays a useful part in that.
Muscle is active tissue
Muscle requires energy to maintain itself. So, generally speaking, having more lean muscle mass contributes to a higher daily energy expenditure than having less.
That doesn’t mean building muscle suddenly turns your body into a calorie-burning furnace. The effect at rest is relatively modest. But over months and years, maintaining good muscle mass can be an important part of keeping your body strong, active and metabolically healthy.
And there’s another advantage: the stronger and fitter you become, the more you can do.
Walking, cycling, carrying shopping, climbing stairs, gardening, exercising and simply moving through life become easier. That can have a much bigger impact on your overall daily energy expenditure.
Muscle helps us manage blood sugar
Muscles also play an important role in how our bodies use glucose.
When we exercise, our muscles use glucose for energy. Regular resistance training can improve insulin sensitivity and help the body manage blood sugar more effectively.
This is one reason I’m such a fan of strength training, particularly as we get older.
Why muscle becomes increasingly important after 45
From midlife onwards, we naturally begin to lose muscle unless we actively give our bodies a reason to keep it.
That can mean gradually becoming weaker, moving less and finding everyday activities more difficult.
But this isn’t inevitable.
Strength training — using weights, resistance bands, machines or your own body weight — tells your body:
“I still need this muscle.”
And you don’t have to become a bodybuilder!
Two or three well-designed strength sessions a week can make a meaningful difference to strength, mobility and physical confidence.
Forget getting smaller. Think about getting stronger.
I encourage women to shift the focus away from constantly trying to make their bodies smaller.
Instead, ask:
How can I make my body stronger?
Build muscle.
Move regularly.
Eat enough protein.
Sleep well.
Manage stress.
Support your blood sugar.
And give your body time.
The number on the scales is only one tiny piece of information.
A stronger body can support your metabolism, your bones, your balance, your independence and your confidence.
For me, fitness isn’t simply about weighing less.
It’s about creating a body that has the strength and energy to carry you through the next decades of your life.
