# How to Preserve Muscle Mass When You Can't Work Out
Whether you're recovering from injury, managing illness, or facing a temporary break from exercise, losing muscle mass feels inevitable. The good news: it isn't.
Muscle loss happens faster than muscle gain, but strategic choices during inactive periods slow that decline significantly. Here's what works.
**Eat enough protein.** This ranks first for a reason. Protein synthesis, the process that builds and maintains muscle, requires adequate intake. Aim for 0.7 to 1 gram per pound of body weight daily, even when you're not training. Quality sources include Greek yogurt, eggs, lean meat, fish, legumes, and cottage cheese.
**Stay in a caloric balance.** Undereating accelerates muscle loss. Your body breaks down muscle for energy when calories drop too low. Eat enough to maintain your current weight, not restrict calories during recovery periods.
**Move gently.** Complete rest isn't necessary. Walking, stretching, and light mobility work maintain neural pathways to your muscles and boost circulation. Even inactive people who walk 30 minutes daily preserve more muscle than sedentary counterparts.
**Prioritize sleep.** Muscle repair happens during rest. Aim for 7 to 9 hours nightly. Poor sleep increases cortisol, the stress hormone that promotes muscle breakdown.
**Consider light resistance when possible.** Once cleared by your doctor, bodyweight exercises, resistance bands, or light dumbbells prevent significant atrophy. Even minimal tension signals your muscles to stay intact. Two to three sessions weekly maintains strength better than complete inactivity.
The timeline matters too. Research shows noticeable muscle loss takes weeks of complete inactivity, not days. Most people regain lost muscle faster than they built it originally, a phenomenon called "muscle memory."
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