Equinox Clubs Have New Workout Program for Clients on Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro (Exclusive)
The celebrity-friendly fitness club has developed a special program for clients, who have lost muscle mass due to weight-loss drugs
Equinox
Equinox is launching personal training for people on OzempicLuxury fitness club Equinox is offering a new way for its members to meet their fitness goals in the new year.
"We're seeing an uptick in members who are using — or are interested in using — GLP-1 weight loss drugs, including Ozempic and Wegovy," says Equinox club coach Michael Crandall, who is spearheading the new program.
Glucagon-like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a hormone utilized in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity, and is the core component of Ozempic, an FDA-approved prescription medication for people with type 2 diabetes. It's one of the brand names for semaglutide — also known as Wegovy and Mounjaro.
Over the past year, Ozempic has skyrocketed in popularity in Hollywood and beyond as more people turn to the drugs for for casual weight loss.
And Equinox has noticed.
"We're creating an internal education program at the Equinox Fitness Training Institute, adding the GLP1 protocol to coach the many members are using them," Crandell says. "The drugs work so well, but we felt like something really important was missing for our clients on them. Weight loss interventions should always be done with a training program to get the best results."
"There are scenarios where people are either losing weight too quickly, or they're unhappy with their bodies after they've been on the drug for a little bit, or they plateau on the drugs," Crandell explains. "And that's really where Equinox coaching can help build better habits and teach them what maintenance of weight loss actually looks like."
Personal fitness coaches at Equinox are now being trained to design workout regimens specifically for people experiencing those side effects. Part of the plan is creating targeted conditioning programs to combat adverse side effects, like losing too much muscle mass.
Related: Nurse Who Took Ozempic for COVID Weight Gain Reveals What Happened After Stopping the Medication
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Crandall says, "If someone lost 50 pounds, it would be impossible for them to not also lose lean body mass, so we'll help them mitigate that loss, whether its through aerobic or anaerobic conditioning or strength training."
The most important aspect of the program he says, is knowing that most people on GLP1 drugs don't want to be on them forever.
"A big part of this coaching process will be habit coaching for the rest of their lives," he says. "Our clients are thinking weight loss for the long term, and they're very motivated to keep the weight off. What we're doing in empowering them so when they ease themselves off, they won't be nervous or worried they're just going to put it right back on."
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