A new study from The Consumer Collective suggests GLP-1 medications may be contributing to increased spending on fitness and wellness rather than replacing traditional exercise habits. The firm’s new How America Spends on Fitness report found that consumers taking GLP-1 medications spend an average of US$449 per month on fitness across categories, nearly four times the US$120 reported by non-users.

The study found GLP-1 users were considerably more likely to hold a gym membership, with 81% reporting membership compared with 43% of non-users. Users also reported higher spending on areas including personal training, supplements and recovery, while saying they were walking more, doing more cardio and consuming more protein.

The findings point to a potentially important opportunity for fitness operators as GLP-1 adoption grows. Rather than viewing medication-assisted weight management as competing with gyms and studios, the data suggests many users may be investing more heavily in exercise, coaching and related wellness services as part of a broader health strategy.

The Consumer Collective also identified changing spending patterns outside fitness. GLP-1 users reported eating out, snacking and drinking alcohol less frequently, while spending more at grocery stores. Clothing is another notable category, with 63.4% of users saying they purchased new clothing because of weight changes, and more than two-thirds reporting they had dropped at least two clothing sizes.

Among the full survey sample, 25% said they had used a GLP-1 medication at some point and 15% were current users. Weight loss was the most commonly cited reason for use, followed by diabetes or prediabetes management. Millennials recorded the highest GLP-1 usage rate at 29% and were also the highest-spending generation on fitness, averaging US$345 per month.

The findings come from an online survey conducted in July 2026 among 500 U.S. adults ages 18 to 64, including 123 GLP-1 users and 377 non-users. The results are U.S.-specific, so they should not be interpreted as directly representing Canadian consumer behaviour.

For Canadian fitness operators, however, the report adds to growing evidence that GLP-1 adoption could create new opportunities around strength training, coaching, body composition assessment, recovery and long-term member support, particularly as consumers look to preserve muscle mass and build sustainable exercise habits alongside medical weight-management programs.