As a full-time housewife, I naturally gained some weight while raising my kids over the years.

So, I decided to start exercising, but I had one concern.

I wondered if exercising would lead to weight gain due to muscle. I hesitated, thinking about how I might look bigger.

However, after doing some research, I found out that this is not something to worry about. Scientifically, it seems to be true.

A woman's testosterone level is at most one-tenth to one-twentieth of a man's.

This hormone plays a significant role in building muscle, and since women have lower levels, they don't suddenly gain muscle.

In fact, even men have to lift heavy weights and consume protein for years to see changes in their muscle mass.

It is almost impossible for a woman who exercises 3-4 times a week to suddenly become a bodybuilder. So, there's no need to worry that starting to exercise will make your body suddenly bigger.

However, it is said that when you start exercising, the number on the scale may not drop immediately as expected. In fact, it might even go up a little.
The reason is that muscle is heavier than fat. For the same volume, muscle is about 18% heavier than fat.

For example, even if two people weigh the same at 60kg, one with a body fat percentage of 35% and the other with 25% will have completely different body shapes.

Even if the numbers are the same, the person with less body fat looks much slimmer and more toned.

So, the advice is not to focus solely on the number on the scale. This doesn't mean to disregard it, but rather not to use it as the only measure.

If strength training feels overwhelming, there's no need to push yourself from the start. You can begin with exercises like Pilates or yoga that gently engage your muscles.

The important thing is to gradually awaken your muscles to increase your basal metabolic rate.

When muscle increases by 1kg, it burns an additional 13-50kcal per day.

While that number may seem small, it's calories that are continuously burned even while at rest.

Ultimately, this means that as muscle increases, your body becomes less prone to gaining weight even if you eat the same amount.

So, in terms of dieting efficiency, combining strength training with cardio is much more effective than just doing cardio.

Especially in your late 30s, your basal metabolic rate starts to gradually decline.

If you don't build your body now, it will be harder to manage after your 40s.

So, my perspective has changed a bit lately. Worrying about gaining muscle is like worrying about getting a raise—it's an unnecessary concern. Gaining muscle is not a burden but rather something to welcome.

In the future, I plan to focus less on the number on the scale and more on how I look in the mirror and changes in my body composition.

Our bodies show changes much more honestly than numbers do.

Consistency is the most important thing, so I plan to start slowly without being overly ambitious.