Building Muscle Early is One of the Best Things You Can Do for Your Health
Key Takeaways
Building muscle is just as important as losing weight when it comes to improving overall fitness and long-term health.
Muscle boosts metabolism, helping you burn more calories even when you're at rest.
Muscle plays a critical role in blood sugar control by improving insulin sensitivity and helping regulate glucose levels.
Higher muscle mass lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, and fatty liver disease.
Building muscle reduces triglycerides and raises "good" HDL cholesterol levels, improving cardiovascular health.
Higher muscle mass is linked to a longer lifespan and a significantly lower risk of death, especially in older adults.
NOVI Optimum Fit offers guided strength training for a safe, effective, and personalized way to build muscle and improve your fitness.
More often than not, when people think about getting fit, they immediately think of dropping excess weight. However, there is another, equally important goal that deserves the spotlight: building muscle.
Building muscle isn’t just about vanity – looking toned or flexing in front of a mirror. Muscle is a vital, living tissue that powers your metabolism, stabilizes your body, and protects your health. The sooner you start working on building muscle, the more you’ll thank yourself later on.
A Secret Weapon for Weight Management
One of the biggest reasons to build muscle? It makes weight management much easier and more sustainable.
Muscle tissue allows you to burn more calories at rest compared to fat. Muscles cause us to use more calories throughout the day, even while you're at rest. That means the more muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate. Even when you're lounging on the couch or sleeping, your body is working harder to burn calories.
Building muscle through strength or resistance training also prevents a hidden danger during weight loss: muscle loss. When you lose weight without resistance training, a significant portion of what you lose can be muscle mass. This lowers your metabolism and makes it easier to regain fat later.
The Muscle-Blood Sugar Connection
Beyond helping with weight, muscle plays an important role in controlling blood sugar: Muscle tissue helps to maintain the body’s insulin sensitivity and prevents insulin resistance from developing.
When you strength train, your muscles become more efficient at absorbing and storing glucose, helping regulate blood sugar levels. This boosts insulin sensitivity and lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
If you already have prediabetes, insulin resistance, or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, strength training can be a useful tool for improving your health naturally, alongside diet and medical care. Active muscle tissue burns fats for energy, leading to a reduction in levels of triglycerides in the blood. In addition, muscle activity alters the activity of certain enzymes, leading to an increase in the levels of HDL (“good” cholesterol).
Strength Training is an Investment in Your Future Health
Building muscle isn't just about how you look or feel today, it's about protecting your body as you age.
As we get older, we naturally lose muscle mass and bone density. Strength training helps slow this process dramatically, keeping you strong, steady, and less prone to falls and fractures. It also supports joint health and mobility, making daily tasks such as carrying groceries, climbing stairs, or playing with your grandchildren easier and more enjoyable.
In short, investing in your strength now means preserving your independence, confidence, and vitality later in life.
Recommended Reading: The link between muscles, metabolic health and longevity
Did you also know that there is a strong link between higher muscle mass and a longer lifespan?
Several scientific studies have shown that people with higher muscle mass have a significantly lower risk of death and a longer lifespan than those with lower muscle mass. A study of people over age 80 found that those with a higher muscle mass had a 50% lower risk of death than those with less muscle mass. This is likely because muscle mass helps to maintain metabolic health. The damage caused by high blood sugar levels accumulates over time throughout the body. Those with higher muscle mass are less likely to experience high blood sugar. In addition, higher muscle mass reduces the levels of chronic inflammation in the body, which is another factor that can cause damage to virtually every body system.
In addition, studies have shown that adults over age 65 who have low muscle mass are more than three times more likely to lose their ability to live independently, compared to those with higher muscle mass.
How to Get Started with Strength Training
The good news is, you don't need to become a gym rat or lift heavy barbells right away.
Let’s start with these simple exercises:
Bodyweight exercises like squats, lunges, push-ups, and planks build a strong foundation.
As you get stronger, add repetitions, sets, or external weight using resistance bands, dumbbells, or weight machines.
Aim for at least 2–3 sessions per week, targeting all major muscle groups.
The key is consistency and progression. That is, you need to gradually challenge your muscles a little more over time.
If you're not sure where to start or want a program that's easy, effective, and safe, check out NOVI Optimum Fit. It’s a guided, way to build muscle at your own pace, with professional support to help you feel confident every step of the way.
Start Now, Stay Strong for Life
Whether you're in your 20s, 40s, or beyond, it’s never too early or too late to make muscle a priority.
A well-rounded fitness plan includes both cardio and strength training.
If you are an existing NOVI Magnum or NOVI Optimum Plus client and want to take your fitness to the next level, NOVI Optimum Fit is for you. With personalized coaching, structured training programs, and regular body composition tracking, NOVI Optimum Fit ensures that your workouts are safe, effective, and tailored to your goals.
Ready to make the first move?