Skip to content

Top Navigation

Shape Shape
  • Fitness
  • Health and Wellness
  • Food & Nutrition
  • Fashion and Beauty
  • Lifestyle
  • News and Trends
  • About SHAPE

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Your Profile
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Log Out
Login
Pin FB

Explore Shape

Shape Shape
  • Explore

    Explore

    • The Best Inner-Thigh Exercises of All Time

      The Best Inner-Thigh Exercises of All Time

      16 trainer approved thigh exercises Read More
    • Why You're Gaining Weight While Working Out and Eating Well

      Why You're Gaining Weight While Working Out and Eating Well

      Gaining weight while working out is totally normal. Here's what you need to know about that number on the scale post-sweat sesh. Read More
    • Ultimate Guide to Strength Training for Beginners

      Ultimate Guide to Strength Training for Beginners

      This total-body beginner weight lifting routine is the easiest way to ease into strength training as a newbie. Read More
  • Fitness

    Fitness

    See All Fitness
    Here's What a Perfectly Balanced Weekly Workout Schedule Looks Like

    Here's What a Perfectly Balanced Weekly Workout Schedule Looks Like

    Follow this expert-backed gym regimen to give your results a major boost.
    • Workouts
    • Cardio
    • Strength Training
    • Bodyweight Training
    • Yoga
    • Exercise Recovery
    • Low Impact
    • Race Training
    • Workout Trends
    • Motivation
  • Health and Wellness

    Health and Wellness

    See All Health and Wellness
    The Best Foods for Hair Growth, According to Dietitians

    The Best Foods for Hair Growth, According to Dietitians

    While your diet is only one factor to determine how fast your hair grows, there are certain foods that experts say can speed up the process. Learn how to support your stands from the inside out.
    • Sleep
    • Sleep
    • Mental Health
    • Healthy IRL
  • Food & Nutrition

    Food & Nutrition

    See All Food & Nutrition
    Is It Better to Drink a Protein Shake Before or After a Workout?

    Is It Better to Drink a Protein Shake Before or After a Workout?

    Protein is essential for building bigger and stronger muscles, but the timing of your intake depends on your own nutritional needs.
    • Meal Ideas
    • Low Calorie Diet
    • Healthy Snacks
    • Diets
    • Healthy Breakfast
    • Vegetarian, Vegan, and Plant Based Diets
  • Fashion and Beauty

    Fashion and Beauty

    What Happens When You Stop Wearing a Bra?

    What Happens When You Stop Wearing a Bra?

    There's nothing quite like taking your bra off at the end of the day, but does not wearing a bra altogether cause sagging? Here's what the experts have to say.
    • Fashion
    • Beauty
    • Apparel and Gear
    • Skin Care
    • Workout Clothes
    • Beauty Files
    • Workout Gear
    • Body Care
  • Lifestyle

    Lifestyle

    See All Lifestyle
    The Complete Guide to Zodiac Signs and Their Meanings

    The Complete Guide to Zodiac Signs and Their Meanings

    From fiery, competitive Aries to empathic, psychic Pisces, here's your complete guide to all 12 zodiac signs dates and their meanings.
    • Astrology
    • Relationships
    • Travel and Retreats
  • News and Trends

    News and Trends

    See All News and Trends
    • Celebrity News
    • Celebrity Workouts
  • About SHAPE

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Your Profile
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Log Out
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Shape.com
  2. Fitness
  3. Exercise Tips
  4. How to Maintain Muscle (Even When You're Not Working Out)

How to Maintain Muscle (Even When You're Not Working Out)

By Carey Rossi February 04, 2020
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
Skip gallery slides
FB Tweet
young woman flexing for how to maintain muscle
Credit: PeopleImages/Getty Images

Sometimes injury, sickness, vacation, or your crazy schedule keeps you from the gym. (#BeenThere) Here's how to maintain muscle during your next workout hiatus.

Start Slideshow

1 of 6

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Injured? Work Around It

Young Woman Weightraining at the Gym to maintain muscle
Credit: vitapix/Getty Images

Wondering how to maintain muscle while recovering from an injury? Consider exercising the rest of your (non-injured) body. "If your left leg is injured, for example, there's benefit to training the uninjured leg," says David Hooper, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., an assistant professor of kinesiology at Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Florida. "It has been shown to transfer to the injured limb to some degree." Yes, exercising one part of your body can help you keep muscle in other parts—crazy, right? (Just be sure to watch for any muscle imbalances if you train one side or muscle more than the others.)

1 of 6

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 6

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Enjoy a Burger

women eating burgers to maintain muscle mass with creatine
Credit: d3sign/Getty Images

You've probably seen creatine at your local supplement store, but it's also found in red meat. Creatine provides fuel for muscles and has been shown to be a solid option for how to maintain muscle strength and size when you're injured, says Jeffrey R. Stout, Ph.D., professor and director of the school of kinesiology and physical therapy at the University of Central Florida and author of the book, Essentials of Creatine in Sport and Health. 

2 of 6

3 of 6

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Consume Enough Protein

Woman pouring smoothie into glasses to get enough protein to maintain muscle
Credit: Westend61/Getty Images

Dutch researchers found that maintaining protein intake may help preserve muscle during a prolonged workout break (protein provides the body with amino acids, the building blocks of muscle). "Quality protein sources such as animal protein (poultry, eggs, fish, beef, low-fat dairy) and plant-based protein (soy, beans, legumes, vegetables, nuts, and seeds) should be included in every meal and snack," suggests Arizona-based registered dietitian and nutritionist Tiffani Bachus.

How much protein do you need to maintain muscle? "Aim for 3 to 5 ounces at each meal and 2 to 3 ounces at snack time," she says. (More here: How Much Protein Do You Really Need Per Day?)

3 of 6

Advertisement

4 of 6

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Eat Slightly Fewer Carbs

Eating healthy breakfast. Oatmeal porridge in bowl
Credit: Arx0nt/Getty Images

Less activity should mean fewer carbohydrates: "When your body's active, carbohydrates are used for energy (along with fat)," says Bachus. When you're inactive? Excess carbs—just like excess of any kind of calories—are stored as fat. Bachus suggests consuming approximately 15 to 25 grams of carbohydrates at each meal and snack. (Try these high-protein, low-carb foods nutritionists love.)

4 of 6

5 of 6

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Picture Yourself Exercising

Woman looking at the sunset visualization
Credit: Qi Yang/Getty Images

Exercise your imagination on your off days. In a Journal of Neurophysiology study, 29 subjects had a cast placed on their non-dominant arm for four weeks. Half of the subjects imagined contracting their forearm muscles and flexing their wrists for five seconds (without actually doing it). The other half didn't do the mental imagery exercises. At the end of the month, those who performed the metal imagery only lost 24 percent of their strength compared to the 45 percent lost by the group who used their imaginations and maintained muscle mass. 

5 of 6

6 of 6

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Bust Your Butt Before Your Break

Young fit woman exercise with kettle ball getting tired maintaining muscle mass with strength training
Credit: Nastasic/Getty Images

If you know you're going on vacation or foresee a crazy schedule next week, and are curious how to maintain muscle? Push yourself more this week. If you work harder than usual, your body will need more time to recover, allowing you to build muscle during your hiatus, says Hooper. (Read more about the Science of Building Muscle and Burning Fat.)

6 of 6

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Carey Rossi

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 6 Injured? Work Around It
    2 of 6 Enjoy a Burger
    3 of 6 Consume Enough Protein
    4 of 6 Eat Slightly Fewer Carbs
    5 of 6 Picture Yourself Exercising
    6 of 6 Bust Your Butt Before Your Break

    Share & More

    Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
    Shape

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Affiliate Program this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithShape is part of the Instyle Beauty Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Shape. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.shape.com

    Sign in

    View image

    How to Maintain Muscle (Even When You're Not Working Out)
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.