Why is muscle important if I don’t want to be a bodybuilder or look “bulky”?

Whether your goals are aesthetic or generally health based, the need for muscle is important for everyone! First of all, muscle gives us strength and the ability and stability to move our body in space. That strength also supports our spine, bones, and joints. It almost helps to secure everything in place, so we feel solid and confident in our body’s ability to move and do things! We also store glycogen in muscle (carbs go to muscle), which helps to manage blood sugar levels. And finally, having more muscle burns more calories at rest. Just by having more muscle on our body, our BMR (basal metabolic rate) is increased, since muscle is an active tissue which requires energy to contract and relax. So if your goals include minimizing fat gain or actually losing fat, you’ll want to prioritize putting on some muscle too!