Exercise Boosts Long-Term Value of GLP-1s, Study Finds
Krissy Vann | Host, All Things Fitness and Wellness
As health systems around the world grapple with rising demand for GLP-1 medications, a new multinational analysis suggests the greatest long-term returns may come from pairing the drugs with structured exercise.
The report, From Weight Loss to Lasting Value: Structured Exercise and the Economics of GLP-1 Therapy, examined the health and economic impact of combining exercise with GLP-1 treatment across five countries: the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Developed by FTI Consulting's Center for Healthcare Economics and Policy, the analysis compared outcomes associated with GLP-1 therapy alone versus GLP-1 therapy combined with regular structured exercise.
The findings arrive as governments, insurers and healthcare systems continue to evaluate how obesity medications should be prescribed, reimbursed and supported over the long term.
Across all five countries studied, researchers found that adding structured exercise to GLP-1 treatment improved health outcomes, reduced healthcare costs and generated positive economic returns.
In Canada, the report estimates that combining exercise with GLP-1 therapy could generate approximately C$3.5 billion in economic and societal value over 10 years, producing a 105 percent return on investment. Over 30 years, that figure rises to an estimated C$17.9 billion and a 526 percent return.
The United States demonstrated the largest projected impact, with an estimated US$120 billion in economic and societal value over 10 years and nearly US$393 billion over 30 years.
According to the analysis, exercise can help address one of the most frequently discussed concerns surrounding GLP-1 medications: the loss of lean muscle mass during weight reduction. Researchers found that structured exercise, particularly strength training, may help patients preserve muscle, maintain mobility and bone health, improve long-term weight maintenance and reduce weight regain after discontinuing medication.
The report also projects significant downstream healthcare savings. In the United States alone, researchers estimate that integrating exercise into GLP-1 treatment pathways could help prevent approximately 48,000 acute cardiovascular events and 160,000 joint replacements over the next decade.
The findings have prompted several fitness industry organizations to call for greater integration between healthcare providers and the fitness sector.
The Health & Fitness Association, HFA Foundation, AUSactive, Exercise New Zealand, Fitness Industry Council of Canada and ukactive are urging policymakers and healthcare leaders to formally incorporate structured exercise into obesity treatment pathways.
Recommendations include recognizing exercise as an essential component of obesity care, creating referral pathways between healthcare providers and qualified exercise professionals, improving patient access to fitness facilities and expanding outcome measurements beyond weight loss alone.
The report builds on growing industry discussions around the role fitness operators could play as GLP-1 adoption accelerates. While the medications have demonstrated significant effectiveness in weight reduction, fitness industry leaders have increasingly argued that exercise and strength training are necessary to support long-term health outcomes.
"GLP-1 medications are rapidly changing obesity treatment, but weight loss alone is not the full measure of success," said Greta Wagner, President and CEO (Interim) of the Health & Fitness Association and President of the HFA Foundation. "The health and fitness industry has long known that lasting wellness requires more than a number on a scale, it requires strength, function, and sustainable healthy life habits."
The report arrives amid broader conversations about how fitness facilities, exercise professionals and healthcare providers can work together to support patients beyond medication alone.
