How to Build and Preserve Muscle (Even if You're Anxious About How to Start)

Because your longevity doesn't depend on a gym membership

If you’ve assumed that building muscle requires a gym, a trainer, and a full hour carved out of your already-packed day, I’m here to offer something gentler — and probably more realistic.

Last week, we explored how muscle is so much more than strength or shape. It’s an active, intelligent tissue — your metabolic engine, your glucose regulator, your anti-inflammatory ally. It’s health infrastructure, literally.

👉 If you missed that piece, you can read it here: Muscle: Your Metabolic Powerhouse

But knowing that and acting on it can feel like two different things, especially if:

• You’ve never had a workout “routine”

• You feel intimidated or behind

• You associate strength training with gym culture or aesthetics that don’t resonate

• You’ve got injuries, fatigue, or physical limitations

• You’re just... busy

Today, I want to show you what it actually takes to build and preserve muscle — and spoiler: starting takes less than you think. Just your body, your environment, and a shift in how we think about movement.

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“Muscle Maintenance” > Aggressive Weight Loss

You’ve been sold a health narrative that has told you to shrink: eat less, move more, weigh less. But what that approach often misses is what we’re losing.

When weight loss is aggressive or unbalanced — especially in midlife — you lose muscle alongside fat. And that’s a problem. Because losing muscle:

• Slows your metabolism

• Worsens blood sugar control

• Increases risk of injury, fatigue, and frailty

• Often makes weight rebound faster — and harder to manage

Building or maintaining muscle flips that script. It focuses on what you’re keeping and strengthening, not just what you’re losing. And it works with your hormones, not against them.

Strength training doesn’t have to mean barbells or boot camps. It simply means using resistance — any kind — to stimulate your muscles.

Here’s what that might look like at home, in real life:

• Bodyweight movements: squats, push-ups (even from a wall or countertop), glute bridges, step-ups

• Resistance bands: inexpensive, portable, and surprisingly effective

• Everyday objects: a backpack with books, a gallon jug of water, a yoga strap or towel (In fact, you could argue that using daily tasks to stimulate muscles sets you up for a longer ‘healthspan’ because you are learning to do activities more independently for longer

• Time-efficient “micro workouts”: 5–10 minutes of focused movement, even during screen breaks (This is one of my favorites!)

• Functional strength moves: carrying groceries, climbing stairs, lifting kids, yard work

This isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing enough — consistently enough — to send your body the signal:
“This muscle matters. Don’t let it go.”

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My Most Frequent Question in the Exam Room: What’s the Minimum (Effective) Amount?

The science is clear — you don’t need hour-long workouts to make meaningful gains.

✅ Two to three sessions a week of resistance-based movement
✅ 10–30 minutes per session
✅ Two sets per muscle group (legs, core, upper body)
✅ Focus on progressive overload — meaning small increases in challenge over time: more reps, more resistance, slower tempo, or better form (FYI I think about this as gentle challenges to go up in weight slowly and steadily)

Even just twice a week can improve muscle mass, bone density, insulin sensitivity, and mental clarity — especially in midlife and beyond. Studies have shown even individuals in their 70’s and beyond who do resistance for the first time make gains!)

And this is super important, I promise you—Studies show that muscle strength is associated with lower mortality risk.

And if you have limited time to try this, I would suggest focusing on lower body strength for two reasons:

• It’s easier to build muscle on your lower body vs upper so it’s a more satisfying place to start

• Lower body strength in particular has been predictive in women for less age-related cognitive changes!

Think of it like brushing your teeth. Small, regular care adds up to big health wins over time. (Although in all transparency, I am trying to build better flossing habits and having trouble with that! 😂 See, we all need to give ourselves grace in different areas!)

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And If You’re Intimidated or Just Feel “Behind”…

Remember this first: you’re not behind — you’re exactly where you are. And that’s where we begin.

Let me say that again: You always are where you are. By definition, you are not behind.

Here are some mindset shifts I often share with patients:

💭 Start from strength, not shame.
Muscle loss isn’t a moral failure — it’s often the result of modern life, chronic stress, hormonal shifts, or lack of support. Strengthening can start with grace. In Joy Is My Justice, I write about how critical self-compassion is and if you missed my workshop on why it’s even more critical to use it start new habits, go 👉 here.

💭 Think “movement snacks.”
Short bursts of activity — 5 squats while the coffee brews, a plank while you scroll — absolutely count. It’s not all or nothing. That binary kind of thinking will get you nowhere.

💭 Let discomfort guide you, but not necessarily stop you.
Sore? That’s your body learning. Exhausted or in pain? That’s a sign to modify or rest. You’re building capacity, not chasing punishment.

💭 Adapt it to you.
Chair squats. Wall push-ups. Band rows. It’s your strength journey, not someone else’s social media reel!

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And it’s not just about feeling stronger in your body — though you will.

It’s also:

• The energy to get through your day without crashing

• The blood sugar numbers that start to stabilize

• The confidence of knowing you’re supporting your future self

• The resilience that builds in your mind as much as your body

• That small moment when you realize: I feel more powerful than I did last month.

Here’s where you could start this week…

I’d love for you to try one (just one!) of the following:

• ✅ 5–10 squats a day

• ✅ One set of wall push-ups before brushing your teeth

• ✅ Hold a plank (on your knees if needed, it still builds strength!), time it and then try for 5 seconds longer each time.

• ✅ A beginner band workout

• ✅ A short walk +1 strength move after

• ✅ Simply noticing: where am I already using strength in my daily life and can I try a bit more safely?

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Next week, we’ll dive into how to eat to support muscle — because food is your strength-building partner, not your enemy.

Until then, be kind to your body — and know that it’s listening.
Muscle doesn’t respond only to gyms. It responds when you show up.

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And share as always in the comments — what feels doable? What’s worked for you before? What kind of guidance would help you make this stick? I would love to give you more and maybe someone else in the community has a tip that really unlocks a stuck point for you! I’m not a fitness expert but I know that lifting weights has given me so much joy and power in recent years and I want you to feel this too! If you found this helpful, consider forwarding it to someone who’s been feeling stuck or left out of traditional fitness spaces. We all need to get stronger, together!