Does resistance training matter while losing weight?
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults do muscle-strengthening activity involving all major muscle groups on two or more days a week, alongside aerobic activity. That recommendation applies whether or not you are losing weight.
It carries extra weight during active weight loss, because that is when lean tissue is most at risk. The National Institute on Aging frames strength as one of four types of exercise worth doing, alongside endurance, balance and flexibility, rather than an optional addition for people who want to look a certain way.
Resistance training does not require a gym; body-weight work and resistance bands both count under the guidelines. If you have a heart condition, joint problems or have been inactive for a long time, it is worth checking what is appropriate before starting.