Equinox Fitness is renowned for its luxurious wellness offerings and premium pricing. This week, it’s amplifying both aspects with the introduction of Optimize by Equinox, a new personalized longevity program priced at $40,000 per year. This program provides members with comprehensive assessments and tailored guidance.
Julia Klim, Equinox’s Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Business Development, explains that the initiative stemmed from observing members who sought personalized adjustments to their workouts and nutrition based on blood-test results. Recognizing this trend, Equinox partnered with Function Health, a leading personal health-management platform co-founded by renowned physician Dr. Mark Hyman, to offer over 100 lab tests and personalized guidance.
Klim compares this approach to the support teams of elite athletes, emphasizing the collaboration of various experts such as doctors, nutritionists, and mental performance coaches. She highlights that this holistic approach is not exclusive to fitness professionals but extends to individuals seeking enhanced energy and vitality in their performance, whether they are CEOs or musicians. Equinox aims to refine its coaching methodology, centered around movement, nutrition, and regeneration, to meet the evolving needs of its clientele.
What a $40K longevity program includes
The program will debut at the end of the month in New York and Texas, with plans to expand to additional markets throughout the year. Interested members will receive personalized guidance from a dedicated “concierge” who will assist them in completing medical questionnaires, undergoing movement, nutrition, and sleep diagnostics to establish baselines, and obtaining lab tests for over 100 biomarkers, including those related to heart health, thyroid function, hormone levels, metabolism, inflammation, kidney and liver function, and nutrient levels, up to four times annually. Additional benefits comprise thrice-weekly personal training sessions with Equinox’s most seasoned coaches, bi-monthly nutritional and sleep coaching, an Oura Rest & Recovery Kit, and monthly massage therapy.
The program is priced at $3,000 per month, with a mandatory six-month commitment, in addition to the average $300 monthly base gym membership fee, which varies by location, resulting in an annual total of $40,000. Regarding the cost, Klim emphasizes that it enables members to engage with top experts in various fields for approximately 16 hours each month.
Beth McGroarty, Vice President of Research for the Global Wellness Institute, highlights that the focus on longevity and healthspan is a prominent trend in the global wellness industry, which is valued at $5.6 trillion according to the institute’s 2023 report. Fitness, being the most evidence-based practice for longevity in the health sector, has prompted Equinox to seize the opportunity to elevate the concept of longevity. McGroarty notes that Equinox is not alone in this endeavor, as other luxury fitness chains like Life Time have launched similar programs, and similar initiatives have emerged in Australia.
This trend has also extended into the travel sector, with hotels such as the Four Seasons offering treatments like stem cell therapy and biomarker testing. However, McGroarty emphasizes that everyday wellness centers within gyms are more practical for individuals committed to continuous self-optimization and testing. Additionally, she underscores the importance of integrating fitness into longevity models.
