Fitness brands are responding to the rise in weight loss prescriptions.
Latest: Although drugs are rapidly gaining popularity, they also have side effects. New partnerships are being formed in an effort to instill behavioral changes while strengthening muscles and gaining members.
This month, wellness platform FitOn partnered with weight loss company Noom, and digital brand obé Fitness partnered with Found.
The companies have debuted a progressive strength training program for GLP-1 users designed to address complications associated with rapid weight loss, such as metabolic slowdown and sarcopenia.
It got heavier. Early studies suggest that approximately 40% of the weight lost with GLP-1 is lean body mass. Also, 68% discontinued their GLP-1 use within 12 months, which could result in weight regain and further deterioration of body composition.
Ignoring the FDA’s recommendations to combine injections with diet and exercise can result in an expensive yo-yo effect for patients who don’t change their habits.
balance scale. Forced to adapt, gyms are rethinking the way they lose weight while promoting long-term lifestyle changes.
- Equinox has announced a programming workout for customers taking obesity drugs.
- Lifetime Inc. announced it will pilot “in-house” GLP-1 and launch the medical concept MIORA.
- Prescription planning company Xponential Fitness has acquired weight loss clinic Lindora.
In a different approach, Crunch CEO Jim Rowley opposed a culture of shortcuts and said the chain would not dispense drugs.
Meanwhile, big drug companies are racing to develop muscle-preserving drugs, but masking the effects of one drug with another could cause further problems.
ending: Whether opting for dispensing or support, gyms have an opportunity to convert a previously untapped market. But for an industry that prides itself on tackling difficult things, the irony is not lost on it.