Equinox Rolls Out Longevity Membership Priced at $3K Per Month
Optimize by Equinox could be a game-changer, using biomarker testing as a map for hyper-personalized training. But it will run members around $40,000 a year
Equinox’s entry into the longevity and healthspan space is set to roll out at the end of the month in New York City and Highland Park, Texas — a groundbreaking new membership offering from the luxury lifestyle and fitness brand that comes with a $3,000 per month price tag.
Equinox and Function Health announced their partnership last month, ushering in a new era in hyper-personalized health and integrated personal training.
Officially dubbed “Optimize by Equinox,” the longevity membership begins with a biomarker test from Function Health, which examines 100 biomarkers to reveal health information about major organs, metabolic and immune systems. Equinox also runs a series of tests that assess VO2 max, strength and movement range. An Equinox concierge then gathers the test results to develop a personalized program.
“It’s the same as Formula One or an athlete, where you are given a team of top experts in all these different verticals to design a program based on all the data that we collected,” Julia Klim, vice president of strategic partnerships and business development at Equinox, told CNBC. Both tests are repeated twice a year.
Each Optimize program member is assigned a personal team of health and wellness experts, including a fitness trainer, nutrition coach, sleep coach and massage therapist. The Optimize membership includes three hour-long training sessions per week, bimonthly half-hour sessions with a nutrition coach, two half-hour sessions per month with a sleep coach and one massage therapy session a month. Members of the new longevity and healthspan program will be able to train at Equinox’s “E Clubs,” its most “elevated” clubs, according to CNBC.
The program doesn’t include a standard Equinox membership; purchasing one combined with an Optimize membership will run Equinox members around $40,000 for a full year.
The program is set to expand into other states following its debut in New York City and Texas.
Gyms & Health Clubs Ride Longevity Wave
While Equinox’s new program is financially out of reach for many at the moment, health and fitness clubs may have an opportunity down the road to offer similar services, especially as over 70% of Americans feel the healthcare system is failing to meet their needs.
Fitness SF, a family-owned group of eight health clubs in the Bay Area, just tapped biotech startup InsideTracker for biomarker testing as part of a “reimagined membership” that includes a one-time DNA analysis (for baseline measurement purposes) and biannual blood biomarker testing to track progress. The results will guide Fitness SF’s training services.
More Than Just Fitness
In a recent appearance on Athletech News’ “Unscripted” podcast, Klim revealed that Equinox considers itself more of a lifestyle brand than a fitness one, especially considering its focus on movement, nutrition, regeneration and community.
“We’re innovating to (get) closer to healthcare and doing more personalization,” Klim said. The company added a Health Advisory Board consisting of top medical and wellness experts, academics and industry leaders to guide its programming for 2024 and beyond. One member, Dr. Mark Hyman, is the co-founder of Function Health.
Earlier this year, Equinox introduced a personal training program for clients on GLP-1 weight-loss medications, creating an internal education program at its Equinox Fitness Training Institute. The program ensures that clients don’t lose valuable lean muscle mass—a common occurrence for those who take such medications—and helps GLP-1 users create long-lasting health habits.
The luxury lifestyle and fitness operator reported a 27% revenue increase and record-high member engagement in 2023. A pipeline of 25-plus new locations across major markets is planned for the coming years, including new clubs in Philadelphia and Los Angeles.
