The Med-Spa Takeover: Why Big Box Gyms Are Becoming Clinics
Life Time Fitness is rolling out 'Miora' longevity centers. Equinox is partnering with Function Health. The gym is no longer just a place to sweat; it's your doctor's office.
The era of the “gym” is over. The era of the “Longevity Club” has begun.
In late 2025, Life Time Fitness accelerated the rollout of its Miora brand—in-house clinics offering GLP-1 weight loss drugs, peptide therapy, and hormone replacement (HRT). Equinox followed suit with its “Function Health” partnership, offering 100+ lab markers to members.
This isn’t a fad. It is a fundamental shift in the business model of fitness.
Why The Shift?
Big Box gyms are realizing that “access to equipment” is a commodity. You can get a squat rack at Planet Fitness for $10. You can get a cold plunge at a dedicated spa.
But Medical Interventions (GLP-1s, TRT) are high-margin, sticky services. Once a member starts a prescription, they are locked in. The gym becomes their primary care provider.
What This Means for Independent Trainers
If you are just a “rep counter,” you are in trouble.
Your clients will soon be walking into their big box gym and getting medical advice that might contradict your training. They will be on medications that alter their physiology (and your programming).
The Pivot: You must become a Protocol Manager.
- You don’t prescribe the drugs (unless you’re an MD).
- But you must understand them. You must know how to program for a client on Semaglutide (muscle preservation focus) or TRT (higher volume tolerance).
If you can’t speak the language of longevity medicine, you will lose your high-ticket clients to the facility that can.
Forget the "Ozempic Face" scaremongering. New 2025 data suggests that when combined with resistance training and hormonal support (TRT), GLP-1 agonists may actually create a superior environment for body recomposition.
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