Lauren Connis Oldham Active
I read with interest your recent HCM Editor’s Letter, highlighting the research around alarming muscle mass loss and weight regain following GLP-1 medication cessation.
Your letter couldn’t be more timely. Oldham Active is one of the first community leisure trusts in the UK to recognise this looming health catastrophe and we’re taking decisive action.
We’ve recently upskilled 30 of our fitness instructors and PTs, who completed in-person pioneering GLP-1 specialist training called Navigating GLP-1 for sport and physical activity professionals.
Around 50 per cent of our health referral members are taking GLP-1s, many without a prescription
The course was delivered at Oldham University by Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi and Future Fit, and made our team the first cohort of fitness professionals in the UK to receive this specific training.
At present there’s a significant lack of education about these medications and the training enables the team at Oldham Active to position themselves as experts in their community to counterbalance some of the misinformation in circulation – often to be found on social media and from influencers.
We’re passionate about upskilling our team to support members’ long-term wellbeing and the urgency became clear when we found 50 per cent of our health referral members are taking GLP-1s – many without GP prescriptions or adequate guidance.
Referral pathway for GLP-1s
We’ve also launched an exercise referral pathway for people on GLP-1s in line with the latest World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, which recommend intensive behavioural interventions – including structured physical activity programme – alongside GLP-1 treatment.
Health and social prescribers across Oldham can now refer patients with a BMI of over 30 to Oldham Active’s specially-trained fitness team to get tailored exercise support.
The new pathway is available to people who purchasing GLP-1s privately or have been prescribed them by their GP and has been designed to help them preserve and build muscle mass while taking the medication.
This isn’t just about individual outcomes for Oldham Active; it’s about preventing a potential public health disaster.
This approach supports healthier, more sustainable weight loss and helps maintain results long-term, especially when they decide to stop taking the medication, and is even more needed given the WHO has just endorsed GLP-1s for long-term use.
Health and social prescribers across Oldham have been informed of the new pathway and the team’s specialist qualifications, enabling them to confidently refer suitable patients to the service.
Your ‘doom scenario’ of patients losing up to 40 per cent muscle mass, then re-gaining weight as fat within two years –as well as recent Les Mills insight that shows that GLP-1s can age people physiologically by ten years in just 68-72 weeks, is precisely what their team is now working to prevent, addressing one of the fundamental flaws your article highlighted: that weight loss drugs don’t require behaviour change.
This isn’t just about individual outcomes for Oldham Active; it’s about preventing a potential public health disaster. As the NHS expands GLP-1 access, Oldham Active’s model demonstrates how operators can fill the crucial gap between treatment and long-term success, potentially saving millions in repeat prescription costs, while also helping people to maintain their health while on GLP-1s.
The course was delivered by Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi Oldham Active
