Adding Exercise to GLP‑1 Therapy Improves Long-Term Benefits, Multinational Study Finds

The combination could save billions in healthcare costs, leading fitness organizations to call for deeper integration of structured exercise in GLP-1 treatment.

Pairing GLP-1 therapy with regular structured exercise would improve long-term health outcomes, reduce downstream costs, and generate positive economic returns across multiple countries, according to new multinational research by the Health & Fitness Association developed by FTI Consulting’s Center for Healthcare Economics and Policy. 

Released as a white paper entitled From Weight Loss to Lasting Value: Structured Exercise and the Economics of GLP-1 Therapy, the research compares impacts of GLP-1 therapy as a standalone obesity treatment with GLP-1 therapy combined with exercise in five countries. 

The research was developed in collaboration with the HFA Foundation and four fitness industry federations: AUSactive, Exercise New Zealand, Fitness Industry Council of Canada, and ukactive.

The white paper provides some of the strongest evidence to date that exercise significantly enhances the value of GLP-1 treatment for patients, healthcare systems, employers, and society as a whole.

Across all five countries studied, the analysis found that a combined approach supports improved long-term health outcomes, reduced healthcare costs, and produced positive economic returns.

Combining regular exercise with GLP-1 therapy is estimated to generate:

• United States: US$120 billion in economic and societal value over 10 years and a 496% return on investment, rising to 1,572% and US$393 billion over 30 years.
• Australia: A$182 million in economic and societal value over 10 years and a 59% return on investment, rising to 457% and A$1.4 billion over 30 years.
• Canada: C$3.5 billion in economic and societal  value over 10 years and a 105% return on investment, rising to 526% and C$17.9 billion over 30 years.
• New Zealand: NZ$51 million in economic and societal  value over 10 years and a 27% return on investment, rising to 306% and NZ$592 million over 30 years.
• United Kingdom: £2.7 billion in economic and societal  value over 10 years and a 164% return on investment, rising to 717% and £13 billion over 30 years.

The findings demonstrate that as GLP-1 use expands, exercise should play an essential role in helping patients and health systems maximize the long-term value from new generations of weight-loss drugs.

The fitness industry has an unprecedented opportunity to be part of the solution as GLP-1 usage continues to grow. 

“GLP-1 medications are rapidly changing obesity treatment, but weight loss alone is not the full measure of success,” says Greta Wagner, interim president and CEO 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. This research confirms that exercise, especially strength training, helps patients sustain the benefits of GLP-1 treatment over time. It sends a clear message that exercise belongs at the center of GLP-1 care.”

Based on this data, HFA, HFA Foundation, AUSactive, Exercise New Zealand, Fitness Industry Council of Canada, and ukactive are calling on policymakers, payers, and healthcare systems to integrate structured exercise into GLP-1 treatment pathways. 

Specifically, the groups are asking that: 

1. Structured exercise, including strength training, be recognized as an essential part of obesity care;
2. GLP-1 care models include exercise support;
3. Referral pathways are established between healthcare providers and qualified exercise professionals;
4. Patient access to qualified exercise professionals and fitness facilities be supported; and
5. Outcomes beyond weight loss be measured, including long-term health and economic value.

This call to action builds on a recent joint position statement signed by the participating fitness industry groups, the World Obesity Federation (WOF), and the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI), which emphasized the urgency of ensuring physical activity and nutrition are central to systems supporting the global roll-out of obesity medications. 

Download the complimentary full report to see how structured exercise can help unlock the full promise of GLP-1 therapy.