THE $20,000 LONGEVITY WEEKEND FOR THOSE WHO RECOGNIZE THAT MORE TIME IS THE ULTIMATE LUXURY

ON MY FIRST DAY at Canyon Ranch's $20,000 four-day Longevity8 retreat in November, the schedule sounded dauntingly packed: I received a list of appointments with doctors and wellness specialists across a range of fields, from fitness to flexibility, meditation to mental health.

- BY JACLYN TROP

In between electrocardiograms, carotid ultrasounds, and DEXA scans, I would attend spa appointments, fitness classes, and group hikes through the Santa Catalina Mountains; hobnob with the resort's high-powered guests over dinner and at the pool; and explore the latest tools for neuro and muscle stimulation to reduce stress and reverse the signs of aging at the Center for Life Enhancement.

By day two, I was a believer.

It helped that a torturous treadmill test yielded an explanation for a host of seemingly disparate health problems that had long stumped my regular doctors. This is how I found out that I—a reasonably healthy 42-year-old who couldn't understand why tennis teammates nearly twice my age ran circles around me on the court—have been afflicted by long COVID. Then, on the third day, a physical therapist eliminated years of persistent neck pain with a quick realignment of my pelvis.

For many high-end travelers, a $20,000 vacation could mean a private jet to a remote tropical island, or a luxury villa suspended over a glistening turquoise ocean. Four days in the Arizona desert (in my case, furnished by the ranch to showcase the program) might not sound worthy of a five-figure price tag—but the cost starts to look quite different when you consider it a down payment on your long-term health.

Longevity has become big business in the U.S. and worldwide. Human life expectancy has increased by nearly three decades over the past century, but for many the focus has switched to “health span,” defined as the portion of our lives when we are free from serious disease. On average, we have nine years of life left once our good health runs out, according to a 2021 Mayo Clinic study.