The GLP-1 Revolution: Why Health & Fitness Pros Need Specialized Training Now

The weight loss industry is undergoing a dramatic shift. GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro are rapidly changing how millions manage weight, signaling a new era for health and fitness professionals. By 2035, over 24 million Americans are projected to use prescription weight loss medications, according to Morgan Stanley Research.

This surge presents both a challenge and a profound opportunity: how can fitness and wellness professionals confidently and safely support clients navigating rapid, medication-driven transformation?

The GLP-1 Challenge—and Opportunity—for Fitness Pros

GLP-1 medications may aid significant weight loss, but they bring new complexities to client care:

• Muscle Preservation Risk: Rapid weight loss often includes lean mass loss. According to Harvard Health Publishing, some users have lost over 20% of their body weight in a year—a rate that raises red flags around strength, metabolism, and long-term resilience.

• Side Effect Sensitivity: Nausea, fatigue, and digestive discomfort are common, requiring thoughtful adaptation of exercise programs.

• Psychological Impacts: Body image shifts, emotional eating, and motivation hurdles demand support that transcends standard fitness programming.

• Scope of Practice Clarity: Many professionals are unsure how far they can ethically go in advising medicated clients, creating both legal and trust-based risks.

Natalie Mayslich, Chief Operating Officer of ISSA, captures the urgency clearly, “The weight loss landscape is changing dramatically, and trainers and coaches need more than science—they need strategies to best help their clients succeed.”

Beyond the Prescription: Coaching for Sustainable Change

GLP-1s are a catalyst—not a cure. As Brooke Jeffries, MS, CN, NBC-HWC and Health Coach Institute’s Pathway Program Director, powered by ISSA, puts it, “GLP-1 medications can be valuable tools, but true, lasting transformation requires more than a prescription. Health coaches and personal trainers are indispensable in helping clients make the behavioral and mindset shifts necessary to maintain their progress.”

That’s why ISSA’s new GLP-1 Weight Loss Support Training isn’t just another clinical overview—it’s a whole-person education, empowering professionals to offer safe, sustainable, and emotionally intelligent guidance.

Inside the Training: What Sets ISSA’s Program Apart

Developed in collaboration with the Health Coach Institute, this training offers a balanced blend of clinical insight and behavioral science. Highlights include:

• Science of GLP-1 Medications: Understand how these drugs work within the body.

• Scope of Practice Mastery: Learn when to refer and how to collaborate with healthcare providers responsibly.

• Behavioral & Emotional Coaching Integration: Tackle body image changes, emotional eating, and motivation dips head-on.

• Muscle Preservation Strategy: Adapt workouts to maintain lean mass.

• Personalized Program Design: Build recovery-focused plans emphasizing hydration, rest, and mindset.

• Support for Tapering Off: Help clients maintain results as they transition off medication.

Standing Out in a Competitive Market

This specialized training is more than just timely—it’s strategic. As the GLP-1 medication market grows, clients will actively seek professionals who understand this new landscape.

Upon completion of this course, health coaches and fitness pros can:

• Protect clients from excessive muscle loss and common missteps.

• Offer informed, compassionate guidance, grounded in scope.

• Build trust as collaborators within a client's broader health team.

• Distinguish themselves as early leaders in a fast-growing field.

A New Standard of Care

This isn’t about knowing the names of medications. It’s about becoming a trusted ally—someone who understands the science, honors the psychology, and brings heart to every coaching and fitness session.

With over 50 specializations and a mission to connect 100 million people to healthy living by 2030, ISSA is redefining what it means to be a fitness and wellness professional in the modern era.

Ready to enhance your skills and better support clients on their weight loss journey? Learn more about the GLP-1 Weight Loss Support Training today.