Published Aug 05, 2026 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 05, 2026 | 7:00 AM
Medicines once expected to threaten gyms have instead pushed obesity into mainstream conversation.
Synopsis: Cult.fit’s IPO filing argues GLP-1 obesity drugs will strengthen, not disrupt, India’s organised fitness industry by driving demand for supervised strength training and long-term lifestyle support. Endocrinologist Dr E Ravi Shankar explains why obesity medicines, muscle preservation and sustained exercise are becoming increasingly interconnected in modern obesity care.
Few industries watched the rise of GLP-1 drugs with as much anxiety as the fitness business. When medicines such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro began making headlines worldwide, they promised something gyms had pursued for decades: weight loss.
The question followed fast. If obesity could be managed with a weekly injection, would people still need gym memberships?
The assumption seemed to hold. Gyms had long sold the promise of weight loss, and GLP-1 medicines appeared to deliver the same outcome through a prescription instead.
Cult.fit, India’s largest organised fitness platform, bets that assumption fails. Rather than treat obesity medicines as competition, the company argues they could drive organised fitness growth over the coming years.
The reason lies in how obesity treatment itself changes: weight loss may begin with a prescription, but maintaining health depends on exercise, muscle preservation, nutrition and behavioural change over time.
“The rising adoption of GLP-1 and related metabolic health therapies, which are gaining traction globally and beginning to emerge in India, is expected to support higher engagement with organised fitness services. Clinical treatment protocols typically require regular physical activity and strength training to preserve muscle mass and sustain health outcomes, shifting users from voluntary exercise to more structured, ongoing fitness participation,” the Redseer industry report reproduced in Cult.fit’s Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) states.
Doctors treating obesity patients hold a similar view, though they arrive at it from inside the clinic rather than from an IPO document. “It is actually an ignorant assumption to think that GLP-1 receptor agonists would reduce gym business. In fact, it is the other way around,” said Dr E Ravi Shankar, Senior Endocrinologist at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, to South First. “These medicines are likely to improve awareness about obesity and probably increase footfall at gyms.”
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The Redseer report does not treat GLP-1 therapies as an isolated trend. It places them inside a wider shift in how Indians approach health, fitness and disease prevention, one built on rising awareness, expanding fitness infrastructure, social media influence and community-led participation.
“Higher incidence of lifestyle diseases and, in turn, growing awareness is driving higher prioritisation of preventive healthcare. This shift is expanding the addressable user base, increasing willingness to spend on fitness, and supporting sustained engagement over time in the fitness and active lifestyle ecosystem,” the report states.
The emphasis matters. Instead of discussing gyms alone, the report speaks repeatedly about preventive healthcare, positioning exercise as part of long-term disease prevention rather than aesthetics.
That shift extends beyond fitness centres. Running clubs that once drew a handful of enthusiasts now fill city streets before sunrise. Marathons across Indian cities attract tens of thousands of participants, while cycling groups, yoga communities and functional fitness classes expand alongside social media, which turns exercise into something shared and reinforced among peers.
Cult.fit links these behavioural changes to a new generation of fitness consumers. “Growing visibility of fitness participation through peer networks, social media, influencers, and community formats is reinforcing adoption and engagement. Endorsement by peers and aspirational role models is normalising fitness as a lifestyle choice, accelerating trial, improving retention, and supporting higher frequency of participation across cohorts,” the report states.
The company argues fitness is becoming easier to access. Organised formats extend beyond metropolitan cities, digital platforms lower entry barriers, and hybrid models combining physical centres with online engagement widen access to structured exercise.
“Expansion of organised fitness formats, rising fitness centre penetration, especially in Tier 2+ cities, wider product distribution, and hybrid physical-digital journeys have reduced access constraints and supported broader fitness adoption,” the report states.
Entry points have loosened too. “Easy app bookings, free trials and affordable entry-level pricing have reduced upfront commitment, enabling trial-led adoption and gradual premiumisation as engagement deepens,” the report states.
Organised fitness itself has diversified. It no longer centres on treadmills and weight rooms alone, extending into yoga, dance, functional training, high-intensity interval training and endurance events, giving people several routes into structured exercise.
“The shift from traditional, one-size-fits-all models to a diverse range of specialised formats such as dance, yoga, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and functional training, alongside endurance events like marathons, triathlons, and cyclothons, provides consumers with tailored options that suit varying interest levels and physical goals. This variety recontextualises fitness as a multifaceted lifestyle choice rather than a narrow, performance-driven requirement, significantly broadening the market’s reach,” the report states.
Community formats carry weight equal to equipment in this framing. “Group formats position fitness as a social and enjoyable activity. Fixed schedules, peer participation and familiar instructors support accountability and habit formation, while preparation, social media coverage and the community aspect build affinity towards fitness, accelerating trial and improving retention, particularly among women and new-to-fitness cohorts,” the report states.
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For endocrinologists treating obesity, several of Cult.fit’s arguments reflect changes they are already seeing in clinics, though Dr E Ravi Shankar, Senior Endocrinologist at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, arrives at them through patients rather than market reports.
“Whether Cult.fit is saying that or not, there are a few facts that we need to remember,” he said. “Awareness about obesity has unfortunately been very low, not only among the general public but, to some extent, even within the medical fraternity until a couple of years ago. Although we are in the midst of a major obesity pandemic, people have neglected obesity as a serious root cause problem.”
Ironically, he said, the medicines once expected to threaten gyms have instead pushed obesity into mainstream conversation.
“Only in recent years, after GLP-1 receptor agonists and GIP drugs came into the picture and generated significant buzz, have people started recognising obesity as a serious disease. Whether we like it or not, these medicines have brought obesity to the forefront as a major health problem.”
That change has also reshaped treatment. Obesity is increasingly managed as a chronic disease rather than simply a weight-loss problem, shifting the focus from losing kilos to maintaining health after weight loss.
Exercise has long been the first recommendation in obesity treatment. GLP-1 medicines reverse that sequence. Patients may begin with medication, but treatment does not end there. Because these drugs reduce both fat and lean muscle, preserving muscle becomes a critical part of care.
“The second point is that patients who are prescribed GLP-1 or GIP agonists are also advised to consume adequate protein and exercise regularly,” Dr Ravi Shankar said. “I do not mean only cardio. I also mean resistance training and muscle-building exercises. Some muscle loss does occur with these medicines, and regular strength training helps minimise that.”
That clinical recommendation mirrors Cult.fit’s business thesis. The company’s DRHP argues that GLP-1 therapies will move patients from occasional exercise towards structured, supervised fitness that emphasises strength training, coaching and long-term engagement instead of short-term weight loss.
Dr Ravi Shankar said that approach now forms part of his routine advice to patients. Along with a protein-rich diet, he encourages those starting GLP-1 therapy to join a gym or undertake supervised resistance training.
“Most of these patients are overweight and have generally not been exercising properly in the past. I don’t want them to give up because of injuries or incorrect training. So, as a matter of principle, I advise them to exercise under supervision initially,” he said.
He expects the impact to extend beyond pharmaceutical companies. “The GLP-1 economy is changing healthcare. Dietitians and nutritionists are increasingly in demand because everything is beginning to revolve around these molecules. Similarly, the gym ecosystem is also likely to evolve, and awareness about the importance of building muscle will increase.”
Cult.fit’s own filing reflects that broader shift, arguing consumers increasingly seek an integrated ecosystem combining fitness, nutrition, coaching and structured weight-loss programmes rather than standalone gym memberships.
The company’s thesis also aligns with what doctors observe after treatment. GLP-1 medicines are highly effective at reducing weight, but many patients regain it after stopping therapy if lifestyle changes are not maintained.
“Healthy lifestyle is a continuous process. It is not a one-off intervention,” Dr Ravi Shankar said. “If people stop exercising, stop following a healthy diet, don’t get adequate sleep and also discontinue these medicines, then the weight regain will be very significant. If they continue going to the gym, exercise regularly and eat the right kind of food, the weight regain will be much less.”
