- Equinox is launching a $40,000 longevity program.
- The program will include biomarker testing, personal training, and massages.
A luxury gym chain is launching a program costing $40,000 a year that it says will help clients to boost their longevity. But experts told Business Insider you don't need to spend thousands of dollars to enjoy a long, healthy life.
Equinox will start rolling out "Optimize by Equinox" in New York City and Highland Park, Texas by the end of May, in partnership with Function Health, a health technology startup that offers biomarker testing. The program, which will later be available in other states, aims to help customers "live 100 healthy years," Jonathan Swerdlin, co-founder of Function Health, told CNBC.
Optimize includes twice-yearly biomarker and fitness tests, according to Equinox. The fitness tests measure VO2 max, strength, and movement range, while the biomarker tests measure 100 different aspects of health, including heart, kidney, metabolism, and immune system function, markers of cancer, and nutrient levels.
Equinox says it will use this data to create a personalized health and fitness plan for each client. The plans will include a total of 16 hours of coaching and training each month: three hourlong personal training sessions a week, two 30-minute sessions with a nutrition coach, two 30-minute sleep coaching sessions, and one massage session a month.
Those interested in the $3000-a-month program must sign up for a minimum of six months, and the price doesn't include the cost of basic membership, which is between $275 and $405 a month depending on how many clubs you want access to.
Even on the cheaper plan, that's $39,300 a year.
Like other new offerings in the healthcare space that promise to extend lifespan — such as "longevity clinics" that cost $50,000 a week or biomarker testing costing hundreds of dollars even with insurance — Equinox's new program is on the pricier side. But the appetite appears to be there among those who can afford it: a 2023 survey by A/B Consulting and Maveron VC suggested that almost half (46%) of people earning over $250,000 would spend the majority of their discretionary income on trying to improve health and longevity, compared to only 34% of people earning under $50,000.
But with growing numbers of older people expected to be working past retirement age — at almost 30% of those aged 65 to 74 in 2032, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics projections — policymakers are worried about ensuring people stay healthy into older age, no matter how much they earn.
Professor Dan Belsky, an epidemiologist at the Robert N Butler Columbia Aging Center, told Business Insider that the Equinox plan includes activities and behaviors that are generally beneficial for health. The personalized plan could have "substantial potential to improve healthspan" in people who aren't very healthy to begin with, but its impact would likely be modest in people who are already healthy, he said.
Michael Snyder, a genomicist and director of the Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine at Stanford University, told BI that the testing featured in the program could be beneficial if it revealed conditions that might otherwise be missed, and by optimizing people's diets, supplements, and exercise training plans.
But, since most people can't afford it, Snyder and Belsky said that there are multiple things we can do to improve our longevity that don't involve spending $40,000 a year.
You can get similar results to the Equinox plan on a smaller budget
Those who want to live as long as possible should exercise every day, sleep well, have good social connections, and follow a healthy diet that avoids ultra-processed foods, Snyder and Belsky said.
Snyder said that exercise in particular has many health benefits. He exercises every day and includes weight training. Belsky said that people should do as much exercise as they can manage.
Research suggests that weight, or strength, training is beneficial for longevity because it builds muscle mass, which helps maintain strength and mobility into older age. One 2022 study found that those who did 30 minutes of strength training a week were 10% to 20% less likely to die from chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Consuming more whole foods, such as vegetables, legumes, and nuts, and fewer ultra-processed foods, such as sugary drinks and processed meat, meanwhile, was associated with an increase of 10 years in life expectancy in one 2023 study.
Sleeping in a consistent pattern, for at least seven hours a night, is also essential for longevity because the immune system, muscles, and tissues get a chance to relax and repair any wear and tear, according to Dr. Virend Somers, director of a sleep facility at Mayo Clinic.
Both Belsky and Snyder also recommended having good social connections. Specifically, try to "surround yourself with people you care about and who care about you," Belsky said. Research suggests such relationships play a huge role in how long we live.
Healthy lifestyle habits like these are hugely important for longevity — a recent study suggested that lifestyle factors can boost longevity and offset the impact of genes by 62%.