How much exercise do you need to do while taking Mounjaro for weight loss?

A common misconception about weight loss medications is that you don't have to change your diet or exercise to achieve weight loss.

However, that's not really the case and weight loss treatments can't ever replace a balanced diet and regular exercise. So, if you're currently taking, or plan to take Mounjaro weight loss injections, you're probably wondering how much exercise is considered ideal?

In this article, we'll cover everything you need to know about Mounjaro, including:

• How much exercise is suggested
• Recommended types of exercise
• What happens if you don't exercise on Mounjaro
• The importance of building muscle during weight loss

Can you exercise on Mounjaro?

Yes! You can and should be working out while taking Mounjaro. Both the NHS and the medication manufacturer recommend using Mounjaro alongside diet and exercise for best results [1][5].

Clinical trials, like SURMOUNT-1, also included changes to diet and exercise for people taking Mounjaro.

Research on Mounjaro

SURMOUNT-1 is the trial that the UK government used to inform their decision to authorise Mounjaro for weight loss [3]. The trial included over 2,500 adults across 9 countries. Participants had either a BMI over 30 or a BMI above 27 and at least 1 weight-related complication [2].

The treatment program lasted for 1.5 years, and results showed significant weight loss using the medication, compared to a control group.

During the trial, participants were taking either 5mg, 10mg, or 15mg of trizepatide (the active ingredient in Mounjaro) while also consuming 500 fewer calories per day and getting 150 minutes of exercise per week.

Why is exercise important while on Mounjaro? 

In the past 15 years, studies have repeatedly shown that exercise is important for weight loss, whether you’re taking weight loss medications or not.

An overview of research included 149 studies, evaluated across 12 systematic reviews. Here’s what they found [4]:

• All studies found that exercise was beneficial for weight loss when compared to a no-exercise control group
• Exercise can help reduce fat mass while maintaining lean muscle mass
• Several studies found that exercise increases weight loss compared to diet alone

To put it in simple terms, research has repeatedly shown that exercise is important to increase weight loss and maintain muscle mass.

What kind of exercise routine works best?

When it comes to weight loss, aerobic training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can help you lose an extra 1.5-3.5kg on average [4]. They’re also highly effective at reducing visceral fat, which is the kind that hangs around your stomach.

Some people find a HIIT workout too much intensity at once. In good news, research shows long-duration aerobic exercises and short-duration HIIT workouts are equally effective. So, the choice is yours.

Finally, while it’s good to include resistance training in your routine for strength and muscle, this type of exercise is less effective on its own for weight loss.

We know it can be hard finding the right diet and exercise program on your own, which is why we developed Compound.

Compound combines medical treatments, diagnostics, prescriber support, and personalised nutrition and exercise plans for an effective programme that helps men unlock body recomposition. 

• Up to 15% weight loss with clinically backed treatments
• Lose fat and gain muscle with customised diet and movement plans
• Track metrics and progress within the Compound app

We’re in the middle of building something special for UK men.

How much should I exercise on Mounjaro? 

Telling you the perfect amount of exercise is hard, since it depends a lot on your fitness level, body type, and personal goals. Instead, we can share a few guidelines to help you get started.

In the SURMOUNT-1 trial, participants were working out for 150 minutes per week. This is in line with the national guidelines for physical activity. According to the NHS, adults need a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise each week [9].

Examples of moderate-intensity exercise include [1]:

• Brisk walking
• Cycling
• Gentle swimming

Vigorous activity is anything that gets you breathing heavily. Examples include [1]: 

• Running
• Circuit training
• Competitive sports 

You should be physically active on at least 4-5 days per week, with exercise a minimum of 1-2 times per week.

Getting active on 4-5 days a week might sound like a lot, but it’s not too hard. It’s all about keeping your body moving. That might mean walking instead of driving short distances or doing household chores, like mowing the lawn.

Finally, it’s recommended that your exercise program include at least 2 strength training sessions per week [9].

For personalised advice, we highly recommend a chat with your doctor, a personal trainer, or our experts at Compound. This is especially important if you’re new to exercise or returning after a long break, as working out too hard can lead to injuries.

Can you lose weight on Mounjaro without exercise?

The short answer is: yes, you can lose weight on Mounjaro without exercise. But it’s not the pathway we recommend. We’ll explain more on that next. For now, let’s get into how weight loss works.

How weight loss works

There are 2 ways to lose weight [7]:

1. Consume less energy than your body uses (diet)
2. Burn more energy than you consume (exercise)

Both of these methods put you into a calorie deficit, which means your body will start breaking down other tissues (fat and muscle) to use as fuel [6].

To lose the recommended amount of weight each week (0.5-1kg), you need to consume around 600 fewer calories per day [1]. For most men, that’s a total daily calorie intake of no more than 1,900.

How Mounjaro can support weight loss

Mounjaro helps people enter a calorie deficit by making them feel fuller for longer. This helps stop food cravings and leads to eating fewer calories overall [5].

It’s pretty effective, too. In the SURMOUNT-1 trial, people using Mounjaro lost up to 20% of their body weight over 1.5 years, compared to just 3% for the placebo group [2].

However, in that trial, people were using the medication alongside both diet and exercise. And as we mentioned earlier, multiple studies have found that exercise enhances weight loss results compared to diet alone.

So, while it is possible to achieve weight loss on Mounjaro without exercise, we still recommend getting active as part of your weight loss journey.

What happens if you don't exercise on Mounjaro? 

We get it: life is busy and finding time to work out can be difficult. But if you don’t get active during a weight loss journey, you’ll likely lose muscle mass. 

Over time, this can slow down your metabolism and lead to weight regain when you return to a normal diet.

Losing both muscle and fat

Researchers used to believe that the more fat you had, the less your body relied on burning muscle as fuel. This theory has since been debunked with studies proving that both lean and overweight people lost significant muscle mass while dieting [7]. 

So, that means it’s likely or even inevitable that your body will burn some muscle during weight loss. It’s more likely to happen during rapid weight loss, which is more than 1kg per week [6]. 

Dropping muscle mass has 2 main side effects [6]:

1. It can affect your body’s performance, making it harder to do everyday tasks
2. It can slow down your metabolism, making weight re-gain more likely in future

Slower metabolism

Muscle plays an important role in your metabolic rate. The more muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolism is likely to be, which is how many calories your body burns while at rest [6]. 

If you lose too much muscle during weight loss, then your metabolism could slow down. This may lead to a weight loss plateau, or it could even end up in weight regain. 

Exercise, especially strength training, is one of the key ways to build muscle and protect your metabolic rate.

How to build muscle while on Mounjaro

The best ways to increase muscle mass on any weight loss regimen are strength training and protein.

Eat plenty of protein

When you’re consuming fewer calories, you need to focus on eating the right foods, like lean proteins. Eating plenty of protein on a reduced-calorie diet is proven to help build and maintain muscle mass [6]. 

To preserve muscle during weight loss, it’s recommended to eat 1.2-1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. Up to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight also works, though more than 2.5 grams is not recommended [7].

It’s important that you’re including the other food groups in every meal, like healthy fats and whole grains. 

Try bodyweight exercises 

Lifting weights may be a sure-fire way to pump up your muscles, but getting to a gym is not convenient for everyone.

In good news, bodyweight exercises like push-ups and squats are just as effective as the weight machines in a gym [6]. Plus, you can do them in the comfort of your own home.

Not only are they cost-effective with no equipment required, but bodyweight exercises are also suitable for every fitness level, achievable in short bursts, and good for your mobility and stability [8].

Examples of bodyweight exercises include:

• Upper body: Press-ups, dips, and pull-ups
• Lower body: Squats, step-ups, and lunges
• Core: Crunches, sit-ups, and planks
• Whole body: Burpees, mountain climbers, and bear crawls

Other forms of strength training

Not into weights? There’s more than one way to build up your strength [9]:

• Exercises like yoga, Pilates, or Tai Chi can increase both strength and flexibility
• Using a resistance band can have a similar effect to free weights
• Daily activities like carrying your kids around or digging and shovelling in the garden are both incidental ways to build strength

Even cardio exercise like running can help you build muscle in the lower body. The most important thing for long-term weight management is choosing an exercise that you enjoy and sticking with it.