Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist and the generic name for drugs used to manage type 2 diabetes, although it’s had a more popular use as of late: weight loss. You may be familiar with the brand names Ozempic, Mounjaro, or Wegovy, which utilize semaglutide. They act like glucagon, an endocrine hormone from the pancreas, to mediate weight loss and cause appetite suppression effects.

In the United States, semaglutide was originally approved and marketed for type 2 diabetes with weight loss as a common side effect. Currently, the regimen is widely adopted to reduce weight gain, especially in obese individuals.

Do you presently take a semaglutide medication to manage your blood sugar levels? If so, you may wonder how to get the most out of your treatment. One way to enhance the effectiveness of these drugs is to incorporate an optimal exercise routine. Read on as we explore some easy exercises you can pair with your GLP-1 medication.

Understanding Semaglutide and Exercise Significance

Semaglutide isn’t the magic wand for weight loss as misconstrued by the public. These medications can help reduce your food cravings, but the secret to getting maximum results is hinged on your infusion of many workout sessions. 

You can think of it this way: exercise is a natural way to improve insulin sensitivity, boost mood, and increase energy levels. The sensitivity of tissue cells, especially muscles, causes them to take up glucose. As a result, exercise decreases the amount of glucose in the blood.

When combined with semaglutide medications, exercise can help you achieve better blood sugar control, strengthen your bones, and improve weight management. Regular physical activity can also reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, and other complications associated with diabetes.

While we preach the exercise and semaglutide combo, you should also be careful. You must be aware of some considerations like potential hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) that can result from copious exertion. Therefore, apart from the extent of your workout, there are easy and preferable exercises to combine with your semaglutide routine.

We can group these exercises based on their objectives and what they do to cater to endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility activities. 

Warm-Up Exercises

Warming up helps condition your body for the actual workout. Before diving into more intense physical activities, you can start with some gentle warm-up exercises. These will help get your blood flowing and your muscles ready. You can explore: 

• Light cardio such as walking or jogging in place.
• Dynamic stretching like arm circles and leg swings.
• Yoga, pilates, glute bridges, leg raises, and plank holds to loosen up your muscles.
• Mobility exercises like shoulder rolls, neck stretches, ankle rotations, and wrist extensions.

Cardio Exercises

Doing cardio is a great way to improve cardiovascular health and burn calories. The heart is highly functional during exercises and requires glucose to function. Together with the energy requirement from other muscle cells, this complements the lowering of the effect of blood glucose. More than energy use, muscles also store excess glucose as glycogen.

If you’re down for some cardio, here are some energy bursts to try: 

• Brisk walking
• Swimming or water aerobics
• Cycling or using a stationary bike
• Dancing or Zumba
• Jogging
• High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) 

Strength Training Exercises

Are you trying to gain some bulk mass? These workouts are for you. Building muscle through strength training can help improve insulin sensitivity and boost metabolism, so you can conceptualize this as two gains in one. Try one of the following for optimal strength training: 

• Bodyweight exercises like push-ups, squats, and lunges
• Resistance band exercises
• Light weightlifting or using free weights

Flexibility and Stretching Exercises

Flexibility exercises can help improve the range of motion, reducing the risk of falls and injuries. This is particularly relevant in older adults or those with mobility issues. Similarly, stretching can alleviate muscle tension, often common in people with diabetes or those taking GLP-1 medications.

Certain stretches like yoga or tai chi, can help reduce systemic inflammation sometimes associated with insulin resistance and metabolic disorders.

• Static stretches for your major muscle groups
• Yoga or Pilates to improve flexibility and balance
• Foam rolling or self-myofascial release

Cool-Down Exercises

Now that you’ve done the work, you don’t just put the entire process to a halt abruptly. After your workout, take some time to cool down and stretch your muscles. As you already imagined, there are different subtle ways to suppress the adrenaline boost.

• Static stretches for your major muscle groups
• Deep breathing exercises or meditation
• Gentle yoga to relax your muscles

When Should You Exercise on Semaglutide?

We recommend movements after meals and the infusion of at least two resistance training sessions per week. Keep in mind that you have reduced feeding drive and need to preserve lean muscle mass. Fortunately, the muscle cells require more energy than fat to maintain their integrity. 

So when it comes to losing weight, putting up more muscles helps preserve metabolic health.

How Do You Start Exercising?

Working out requires taking things slowly, especially if you’re a beginner. Gradually, you can build your endurance as well as the workout duration and intensity.

Begin with low bouts of aerobic activities like cycling, jogging, swimming, or walking. Next, step up to moderate intensity exercises of your choice and keep at them. Still working at your own pace, increase your intensity and duration. Don’t forget to later add vital muscle-building exercises like weight lifting, dumbbell snatches, plank, and lunges.

To make the process easier to incorporate into your routine, spread your workout sessions across the week. On days you don’t have copious time, you can maximize the available period by breaking your activities into several minutes each.

The Bottom Line

Semaglutide is quite helpful, but it’s far more effective with a well-rounded exercise program. We trust you’re excited to start your weight loss journey, but it’s vital to remember that the leap comes with some lifestyle modifications. So, as you visit the clinic, dust off your gym membership card and begin your exciting new routine.

Don’t forget to always consult with your healthcare provider to evaluate your progress and risks. Competitive athletes with type 2 diabetes should get professional guidance before going for any of the marketed semaglutide medications. Also, speak to your doctor before commencing any new exercise program.