The Overlooked Health Strategy: Why Strength Training Should Be Part of Every Gut-Health Journey

When most people think about healing their body, they start with food. And rightfully so—what we eat plays a significant role in how we feel, how we function, and how we age. But there’s a missing piece in many holistic health programs, especially those focused on gut repair: strength training.

Not bootcamps. Not random circuits. Not “just move more.”
We're talking about brief, high-effort, full-body strength training grounded in exercise science—performed consistently, safely, and intentionally.

At Reformed Fitness, we specialize in helping time-strapped professionals incorporate strength training in the most efficient and effective way possible. And thanks to our new partnership with Nourish Freely, we’re now supporting more individuals navigating chronic digestive conditions and systemic inflammation.

If you want to optimize your metabolism, protect your brain, and age with strength—not fragility—strength training must become part of your health plan.

Let’s break down why.

Strength Training and Fat Loss: Beyond Calories Burned

Most people equate fat loss with cardio. Go for a run. Jump on the bike. Sweat it out. But this model oversimplifies how our bodies regulate weight—and ignores how muscle fundamentally changes our metabolism.

Strength training doesn’t just burn calories during the workout. It changes your resting metabolic rate by increasing lean body mass. Muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat, meaning the more lean mass you carry, the more energy your body expends at rest.

In a widely cited randomized controlled trial, Hunter et al. (2008) compared overweight adults who engaged in aerobic training, resistance training, or a combination of both. The resistance training group showed significantly greater improvements in body composition, preserving lean mass while losing fat mass. Notably, the aerobic group lost both fat and muscle, which can decrease metabolic rate and increase long-term weight regain risk​Linkedin Post Examples.

Another study by Willis et al. (2012), which analyzed data from 234 participants over eight months, found that resistance training alone resulted in greater reductions in waist circumference than aerobic training alone—even though the cardio group spent significantly more time exercising.

And strength training doesn’t stop at the waistline. It improves insulin sensitivity, enhances glucose metabolism, and increases the number and function of mitochondria—critical for energy production and long-term metabolic health.

For individuals addressing gut-related conditions, this matters. Inflammation, blood sugar instability, and hormone imbalances are common co-factors. Strength training directly addresses these underlying issues.

Cognitive Function: Building Mental Strength by Building Physical Strength

Strength training doesn’t just change your body—it changes your brain.

A meta-analysis published in Psychosomatic Medicine in 2010 reviewed 18 controlled trials and concluded that resistance training significantly improves cognitive function in adults across various domains, including memory, executive function, and attention​Linkedin Post Examples.

One particularly compelling study from the Archives of Internal Medicine (Liu-Ambrose et al., 2010) followed women aged 65–75 and compared resistance training to balance and toning exercises over 12 months. The group engaged in twice-weekly resistance training demonstrated significantly better performance in executive function tasks—skills essential for planning, decision-making, and emotional regulation​Linkedin Post Examples.

How does this happen?

Resistance training increases the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports the growth and differentiation of new neurons and synapses. BDNF is closely tied to neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to adapt and respond to new information. It also reduces inflammation and oxidative stress in the brain, which are both implicated in cognitive decline and mood disorders.

For those managing chronic gut conditions, this is especially important. There’s a strong connection between the gut and the brain, often referred to as the gut-brain axis. By improving cognitive health and stress resilience, strength training can indirectly support better digestive health.

The Strengthspan Advantage: A New Paradigm for Healthy Aging

It’s common to think of aging as an inevitable decline. We lose energy, we lose mobility, and eventually, we lose independence. But this trajectory isn’t fixed—it’s malleable.

The term “strengthspan” was recently proposed by Faigenbaum et al. (2023) to describe the cumulative muscular strength an individual maintains throughout their life. Just as lifespan measures years lived and healthspan measures years lived in good health, strengthspan tracks how long we maintain sufficient muscle strength to function independently​Linkedin Post Examples.

Why does this matter?

Because muscle loss—known as sarcopenia—begins as early as our 30s and accelerates with age. Without intervention, we can lose 3–5% of our muscle mass each decade. That decline doesn’t just impact our strength; it affects everything from balance and bone density to metabolic rate and immune function.

Resistance training is the single most effective way to combat this decline. A review in The American Journal of Preventive Medicine (Westcott, 2012) found that older adults who strength trained just twice per week improved strength, increased lean muscle mass, and enhanced functional capacity—all without increasing risk of injury​Linkedin Post Examples.

Strength training isn’t just for athletes. It’s a foundational strategy for aging well—and living well.

How to Get Started (and Stick With It)

If you're new to strength training—or have tried and struggled in the past—here’s the good news: You don’t need to train every day. You don’t need an hour-long workout. And you definitely don’t need fancy equipment.

Here’s the science-based Reformed Fitness Method:

• Full-body workouts that train all major muscle groups. This improves the calorie burn from strength training!
  
  

• One set per exercise, research continues to show that one intense set with proper form and focused effort. works just as well if not better than multiple sets. Stop wasting time doing exercises more than once!
  
  

• Work to momentary muscular failure— the point where you can no longer lift or lower the weight with perfect form. That's where the magic happens
  
  

• Prioritize multi-joint movements like squats, rows, presses, and deadlifts
  
  

• Only two 30-minute sessions per week are needed
  
  

If it was easy, it wouldn’t work. But if it’s too complicated, it won’t last. We’ve built our approach on what science shows is both effective and sustainable.

To help you get started, we’ve put together a free at-home strength training guide. It includes a simple workout plan designed to build strength, safely and efficiently, from the comfort of your own space.

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE AT HOME WORKOUT ROUTINE NOW!

A Complimentary Session—Just for the Nourish Freely Community

If you’re a current or past client of Nourish Freely, we’d love to meet you.

As part of our new partnership, we’re offering a complimentary virtual 1-on-1 workout so you can experience our science-backed training method firsthand.

When you book, just let us know you heard about us through Nourish Freely. We’ll take care of the rest.

Because when it comes to long-term health, muscle isn’t optional. It’s essential.

References

1. Hunter, G. R., McCarthy, J. P., & Bamman, M. M. (2004). Effects of resistance training on older adults. Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews, 32(3), 143–148.
   

2. Willis, L. H., Slentz, C. A., Bateman, L. A., et al. (2012). Effects of aerobic and/or resistance training on body mass and fat mass in overweight or obese adults. Journal of Applied Physiology, 113(12), 1831–1837.
   

3. Smith, P. J., Blumenthal, J. A., Hoffman, B. M., et al. (2010). Aerobic exercise and neurocognitive performance: a meta-analytic review of randomized controlled trials. Psychosomatic Medicine, 72(3), 239–252.
   

4. Liu-Ambrose, T., Nagamatsu, L. S., Voss, M. W., et al. (2010). Resistance training and functional plasticity of the aging brain: a 12-month randomized controlled trial. Archives of Internal Medicine, 170(2), 170–178.
   

5. Faigenbaum, A. D., Lloyd, R. S., Myer, G. D. (2023). Bridging the gap between strengthspan and lifespan. British Journal of Sports Medicine.

6. Westcott, W. L. (2012). Resistance training is medicine: effects of strength training on health. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 11(4), 209–216.