Insights and Trends continued

Healthcare Integration in the Global Fitness Industry

Healthcare integration is another accelerating and promising trend, with GLP-1 medicines serving as a major catalyst. J.P. Morgan projects that the global incretin market, which includes GLP-1 medicines, could approach US$200 billion annually by 2030. In December 2025, the World Health Organization issued its first global guideline on GLP-1 medicines for obesity, recommending that they be used as part of comprehensive care rather than as a standalone intervention.

A strong case for the fitness industry’s role in the GLP-1 treatment ecosystem was presented in HFA’s white paper, From Weight Loss to Lasting Value: Structured Exercise and the Economics of GLP-1 Therapy. The research examined whether structured exercise could improve the long-term clinical and economic value of GLP-1 treatment. Developed by FTI Consulting’s Center for Healthcare Economics and Policy and commissioned by a multinational coalition of fitness sector organizations, the analysis used a health-economic model adapted across Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The health-economic model projected that adding structured exercise to GLP-1 therapy would reduce cardiovascular events and joint replacements, lower medical and societal costs, and improve survival in every country studied. Each market also generated a positive projected return on investment. The US recorded the highest returns: 496% over 10 years—approximately US$5 returned for every US$1 invested—and 1,572% over 30 years.

HFA released a joint statement with the World Obesity Federation, ukactive, AUSactive, Exercise New Zealand, and the Fitness Industry Council of Canada warning that reliance on medication alone may lead to poor long-term outcomes, including loss of muscle mass, diminished functional capacity, and widening health inequalities if access to supportive services is limited.

Taken together, the research and the industry’s joint policy statement call on policymakers and health systems to recognize structured exercise as an essential part of comprehensive GLP-1 care, embed physical activity support and referral pathways into treatment models, expand access to supportive services, and measure outcomes beyond weight loss.

This fits into the growing trend of fitness facilities evolving from places where people simply exercise into community health hubs that combine fitness, preventive medicine, chronic disease management, recovery, and healthy aging under one roof.

HFA launched a formal partnership with the American Cancer Society and is developing a relationship with the Alzheimer’s Association. Fitness operators are also partnering with telehealth and clinical providers, including Planet Fitness with Ro, UFC GYM with NexGen MD, Crunch Fitness with Thrive, and In-Shape Family Fitness with KORB Health. Premium brands such as Equinox and Life Time are expanding longevity and diagnostic offerings, often in collaboration with clinical partners, and more luxury operators are likely to follow.

HFA’s Advocacy Mission: Addressing Current Challenges Head-On

All of the categories and issues mentioned above are on the radar of HFA’s advocacy and research teams. By working with global health organizations like the World Obesity Federation and producing research that backs the role of fitness facilities in reducing obesity, chronic disease, mortality rates, and other global population health concerns, HFA is hoping to convince policymakers to increase public investment in access to services that support physical activity.

HFA continued to protect the US industry from harmful state legislation and regulatory overreach. While HFA’s broader State of the States research tracked more than 160 bills across 42 states, the association directly tracked and engaged on 62 bills across 23 states in 2025, holding more than 100 meetings with governors, legislators, and regulators. Based on legislation stopped or materially amended, HFA estimates that these efforts saved US fitness operators US$25 million to US$60 million annually in avoided operating costs.

The broad principles for non-US operators mirror HFA’s US strategy:

● Treat physical activity as a preventive health investment, not a consumer luxury;

● Use data to demonstrate participation sensitivity to price; and

● Position affordability as a lever for achieving national and regional health goals.

This strategy was the focus of the Global Advocacy Summit at The HFA Show 2026 in San Diego in March. “Speaking With One Voice—Global Advocacy to Position Fitness as Health Infrastructure” focused on how aligned language, shared frameworks, and coordinated advocacy efforts are elevating physical activity—and the facilities that deliver it—within healthcare, policy, and economic systems worldwide.

HFA will continue to work to unite the industry to accomplish this ambitious mission.

Reflecting on the message of the 2026 Global Advocacy Summit, HFA Chief of Staff Mike Goscinski said, “For fitness to be recognized as essential to health systems, everyone in the industry has to show up aligned, evidence-based, and globally coordinated.”