Weight-Loss Jabs Were Meant To Empty The Gyms. They Haven't.

Mindbody's 2025 State of the Industry report went looking for evidence that GLP-1 weight-loss drugs would put people off exercise classes, and instead found the opposite; this includes practices like yours if you run anything with a mat, a treadmill or a waiting room full of people trying to get healthier.

Page updated: 13 Aug 2026

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Practices that still treat fitness, beauty and mental wellbeing as three separate errands may be the ones losing bookings, according to Mindbody's read on where client expectations are heading.

Original Research	Mindbody's annual round-up of trends across fitness, beauty and wellness businesses
Source	https://www.mindbodyonline.com/sites/default/files/public/education/learning-assets/2025%20State%20of%20the%20Industry%20Report.pdf
Overview	It draws on responses from wellness business owners and consumers to track where spending, technology and client expectations are moving, published by booking software company Mindbody.
Year	2025
Publisher	Brand, Mindbody
Relevance to Wellbeing	Useful context for practices competing for the same wellness pound, even though it's built largely around Mindbody's own subscriber base of studios, gyms and spas.
Our Verdict	Too early to tell It's a decent temperature check on client expectations, but Mindbody is talking its own book here.
Our Summary	Confirms clients are shopping around less and bundling more, which favours practices offering more than one service. The methodology isn't spelled out in the sections available, so the numbers are best treated as directional rather than exact. Backs up what plenty of practices have noticed already: people want convenience, not another app to manage. Weighted towards Mindbody's own customer base, which is mostly studios, gyms and spas rather than solo practitioners.
Our Geo View	Skews North American, so UK and EU practices should treat the findings as a general direction rather than a local fact.

Abstract of wellbeing niches and revenue flow

Recognise how this might impact your practice

Why this might matter to you

Coaching: this matters because clients on weight-loss medication may need less convincing to keep showing up, not more.
Therapy: this matters because the emotional fallout of rapid weight change is a live topic clients will bring up whether or not you've prepared for it.
Training: this matters because the customer you assumed would cancel their membership might actually be your most reliable one.
Alternative Healing: this matters because clients juggling medication and holistic approaches will want to know you're not going to disapprove.
Clinical: this matters because it's a straightforward data point to reassure patients that exercise and medication aren't in competition.
Retreat/Centre: this matters because guests on GLP-1 drugs are apparently still keen on movement, so the itinerary doesn't need rewriting.

Where this came from

Mindbody's own yearly stocktake of the fitness and wellness world, this edition leaning into what weight-loss medication is doing to studio attendance.

Mindbody, "2025 State of the Industry Report," published 2025. No independent academic partner is credited, and the PDF itself is the primary source.

Credibility flags: methodology not disclosed in the accessible sections, sample size not disclosed, publisher is a commercial brand with a direct financial stake in the finding.

How we scored this

A relevance score out of 100, built from three things: how well it fits the six practice types, how recent it is, and how solid the methodology behind it is.

65%

Practice fit, 50How new, 100How solid, 50

Marked down mainly on how solid the method looks from the outside, though it scores well on how current it is and reasonably on fit, since fitness, clinical and retreat practices sit close to the subject matter.

It's worth considering changes to your marketing practices

What this means for your marketing

Put a line on your website saying weight-loss medication and your sessions work well together, before a client asks nervously.
Brief front-of-house staff so nobody looks surprised when a client mentions they're on a GLP-1 drug.
Say plainly in your intake forms that medication use won't affect how you treat someone.
Mention the trend in your next newsletter as reassurance, not as a sales pitch.
Skip the ads that imply your programme is an "alternative" to medication. Nobody's buying that framing any more.

Who this is most useful for

Practice type	Relevance	Recommended action
Coaching	Medium	Mention any complementary services or partner practitioners you refer clients to.
Therapy	Medium	Clarify what a session with you includes that a bundled offer wouldn't.
Training	High	Highlight recovery, nutrition or stress-management add-ons if you offer them.
Alternative Healing	High	Position your service as the finishing touch to a client's existing routine.
Clinical	Low	Keep messaging focused on outcomes, not on competing with lifestyle bundling.
Retreat/Centre	High	Lead your marketing with the full range of services under one roof.

Best before

Best before: worth revisiting when Mindbody publishes its 2026 edition, or sooner if you want to check the original PDF yourself.

Consider This The Footnote That Changes Things.

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