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GLP-1 and Weight Loss Medications course

Learn how to effectively and safely support clients using GLP-1 weight-loss medications, with medically informed guidance designed specifically for fitness professionals.

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Confidently support clients using GLP-1 medications

Develop the practical knowledge and coaching confidence to safely adapt exercise, lifestyle, and weight management support for clients using GLP-1s

  • Course type:

    CPD

  • Time to complete:

    10 hours

  • Delivery method:

    Online

Book your place for only £195

£195

Become GLP-1 confident

The rise of GLP-1 medications has fundamentally changed the weight management landscape. Fitness professionals are increasingly working with clients whose weight loss is no longer driven solely by diet and exercise, but influenced by pharmacological treatment.

This course introduces GLP-1 receptor agonists, exploring their primary use in supporting weight loss and obesity, as well as their role in managing long-term health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

The focus of this course is not simply understanding what these medications are—it’s understanding what they mean for your coaching practice.

HFE Personal Training Course Tutor in the gym

GLP-1 course overview

You’ll explore how GLP-1 medications affect appetite regulation, energy intake, digestion, recovery, and body composition. You’ll also learn how to apply this knowledge in practice, with key exercise considerations such as pre-exercise screening, client monitoring, and adapting programmes to suit individual responses.

Crucially, the course highlights the importance of a holistic approach to weight management. Sustainable results rely on more than medication alone, with behaviour change, physical activity, and nutritional considerations all playing a vital role. You’ll learn how to support clients through lifestyle changes, helping them build healthier habits and improve long-term outcomes. By bridging the gap between clinical insight and fitness practice, this course empowers you to deliver a more informed, well-rounded service that meets the evolving needs of your clients.

  • Qualifications

    Upon completion, you’ll receive a CPD certificate in GLP-1 Medications and Weight Management.

  • Who the course is for

    This course is designed for fitness professionals who want to stay ahead of industry developments and better support clients using weight loss medications, including:
    • Gym instructors
    • Personal trainers
    • Exercise specialists working in weight management, diabetes, and obesity
    • Coaches working in health and wellbeing and behaviour change

  • Entry requirements

    There are no formal entry requirements for this course. However, it’s recommended for those currently working in the fitness industry, as the content focuses on supporting clients using GLP-1 medications.

    You must be aged 16 and over to enrol (18 for certain payment plans).

Responding to change: Why GLP-1 training matters for exercise professionals

The use of GLP-1 medications has increased rapidly in recent years, with estimates suggesting there are millions of users globally and around 1.6 million in the UK alone, according to University College London.

Originally developed for type 2 diabetes management, these medications are now widely used for weight loss and obesity treatment. They’re regularly accessed through public health organisations like the NHS, private clinics, and online by regulated and unregulated suppliers. The Kings Fund (2025) estimates that around 1.4 million people are accessing these medications privately from online pharmacies without medical supervision.

Given this widespread access, fitness professionals are increasingly working with clients who are using medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro, often without medical supervision. As a result, there is an urgent need for all exercise professionals to develop an understanding of how these medications work, the risk to overall health and wellbeing, and how to mitigate these effects.

GLP-1 medications can significantly reduce appetite and energy intake, which may lead to:

  • Rapid weight loss, both from fat mass and lean muscle tissue
  • Nutritional deficiencies and the displacement of other nutrients
  • Loss of bone mass, increasing the risk of osteoporosis and falls-related fractures
  • Altered exercise and recovery capacity, reducing the uptake of activity

In many cases, people using GLP-1 medications outside of medical supervision may not understand the risk to their health, including the impact on exercise and nutrition. As a result, exercise professionals need to be ready to have open and honest conversations with clients based on the evidence.

Currently, there is a significant knowledge gap in the industry about the effects of weight-loss medications, which is why this GLP-1 course has been created. This course will give you the knowledge and practical tools to support clients safely, confidently, and effectively.

Why choose HFE to become GLP-1 Confident

As GLP-1 use continues to rise, more education is entering the market. However, many courses focus primarily on medication awareness rather than the practical realities of coaching clients already using these treatments.

Designed specifically for exercise and health professionals, this course goes beyond understanding how GLP-1 medications work — helping you confidently adapt training, communication, and client support strategies in real-world settings.

  • Designed specifically for fitness professionals working with real clients

  • Directly relevant to the changing realities of the health and fitness profession today

  • A holistic approach combining exercise, nutrition, lifestyle, and medication awareness

  • Practical guidance on coaching confidence, exercise programming and client management

  • Strong emphasis on behaviour change and long-term health

  • Unique insight into menopause, hormonal health, and GLP-1 use

What you'll learn

Our GLP-1 and Weight Loss Medications course is one of the first comprehensive programmes of its kind, designed to equip fitness professionals with the knowledge and tools to support clients in an evolving industry.

Delivered online through a combination of online learning and clinician-led video lectures, this GLP-1 course is structured into six core units.

  • 1. Understanding GLP medications

    How GLP-1 receptor agonist medications work and how they influence appetite, metabolism, and energy balance.

  • 2. Prevalence and usage

    Who is using GLP-1 medications, why uptake is increasing, and what this means for fitness professionals.

  • 3. Benefits and risks – the evidence

    Weight loss outcomes, metabolic improvements, side effects, and clinical considerations relevant to exercise professionals and their clients.

  • 4. The role of exercise

    How to adapt training programmes, protect muscle mass, and support clients with their health and wellbeing while using these medications.

  • 5. Nutrition and lifestyle change

    How appetite suppression affects caloric and nutrient intake, protein needs, and long-term behaviour change strategies.

  • 6. The role of fitness professionals

    Scope of practice, communication strategies, and how to support clients safely within a multidisciplinary context.

How you'll be assessed

Throughout each unit, you’ll complete knowledge checks to reinforce your understanding of the key concepts presented throughout the course. These learning checks will ensure that your knowledge and confidence in this area continue to grow as you progress.

At the end of each unit, you’ll also complete an online assessment workbook featuring multiple-choice questions that are designed to test your knowledge and understanding of GLP-1 medications and their effects. You’ll need to answer all questions correctly, but you can re-take assessments as many times as you need to pass. Once you’ve completed all of the online assessments, you’ll be able to say that you are GLP-1 confident.

HFE student completing assessment sheet
Dr Angela Wright smiling at the camera with a text overlay that read

Expert-led teaching

This course is delivered by Dr Angela Wright, a specialist doctor with decades of clinical experience in weight management, obesity, and diabetes. She is also a British Menopause Society (BMS) accredited specialist, with expertise in the hormonal and physiological changes associated with menopause. This is particularly relevant given the high proportion of peri- and post-menopausal women prescribed GLP-1 medications.

Her combined expertise in menopause care, metabolic health, and weight management provides unique insight into how hormonal changes influence appetite regulation, body composition, and response to both exercise and pharmacological interventions.

Support designed for your success

Throughout your learning, you’ll have access to our learner engagement system (LES), allowing you to track your progress and stay on course. Our GLP-1 course has been designed for independent learners to work through at their own pace. You’ll also have access to our 5-star support team, who are available via phone and email if and when you need a helping hand.

  • Phone

  • Email

  • Video

  • Webinar

HFE support tutors answering calls

Flexible payment options

We have a reputation for training excellence, and our Level 3 Award in Menopause Awareness is no different. This is an industry-leading qualification that offers incredible value in terms of the quality of information, delivery, and expertise that are provided throughout this course.

Like all our education products, we’re delighted to offer a range of flexible payment options, including prompt payment discounts, monthly instalments (interest-free), and Enhanced Learning Credits for armed forces service leavers.

Pay in Full

£195

Get a 5% prompt payment discount on orders with a value over £200.

Purchase Order

£195

Provide a purchase order on enrolment and settle the invoice within 30 days*

Become a GLP-1 confident coach and elevate your service

Our GLP-1 weight-loss medications course is an essential CPD programme specifically designed to give you the confidence to work with clients safely in a rapidly evolving weight-loss industry.

On completion of this training, you’ll be able to promote yourself as a GLP-1 confident coach and use our GLP-1 confident badge on your promotional materials.

Being a GLP-1 confident coach will help you to:

  • Confidently support clients using GLP-1 medications in real-world settings
  • Adapt training and programming in response to physiological changes
  • Recognise risks associated with unregulated or black-market medications
  • Understand how appetite suppression affects nutrition and recovery
  • Support a broader and more complex client base
  • Strengthen your professional credibility and scope of practice
  • Differentiate your services in an increasingly competitive market
  • Deliver safer, more effective, and more individualised weight management support
A fitness coach sat on a high table in a gym smiling

Related courses

To further develop your knowledge, skills and credibility to work in this field, there are other specialist courses you can complete. We recommend the following courses:

Fundamentals of Coaching Nutrition for Health and Weight Management

Fundamentals of Coaching Nutrition for Health and Weight Management

Level 3 Exercise Referral for Long-Term Health Conditions

Level 3 Exercise Referral for Long-Term Health Conditions

Level 3 Understanding Childhood Obesity

Level 3 Understanding Childhood Obesity

Level 4 Specialist in Obesity and Diabetes

Level 4 Specialist in Obesity and Diabetes

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