Longevity is now mainstream, and gyms must choose

What was once considered niche biohacking for a small elite has officially entered the mainstream. Consumers are no longer satisfied with simply training harder or looking fitter. They want to live longer, healthier, and better lives, and they increasingly expect fitness operators to play an active role in that journey.

For gym owners and operators, this shift creates both opportunity and complexity. The real question is no longer whether to offer longevity-focused services, but how to integrate them without breaking the business model.

Why Longevity Matters Now

In advanced economies, only 5–8% of total healthcare spending currently goes into prevention. Yet behavior is changing fast.

Younger, more affluent consumers are actively redirecting their spending toward:

• Preventive health
• Wellness and recovery
• Diagnostics and performance optimization

This is where new demand is forming and where traditional gyms risk being left behind if they fail to adapt.

Longevity sits at the intersection of fitness, health, and lifestyle. As trust-based physical spaces with recurring member relationships, gyms are uniquely positioned to become gateways to preventive care. But doing so requires strategic choices.

The Strategic Question for Gym Operators

The decision is not: “Should we offer longevity services?”

The real question is: “How do we integrate longevity in a way that is scalable, credible, and financially sustainable?”

In practice, there are only three viable strategic options:

MAKE. BUY. PARTNER.

Not choosing is also a decision, and often the riskiest one.

Option 1: MAKE – Build Longevity In-House

This approach involves developing longevity capabilities internally.

What it looks like:

• Designing proprietary longevity protocols
• Training and upskilling staff
• Investing in dedicated spaces, equipment, and education

Pros

• ✔ Full control over brand, experience, and quality

Cons

• ✖ Slow to implement
• ✖ Capital-intensive and operationally complex

This option is best suited for operators with strong balance sheets, long-term vision, and the ability to absorb higher upfront risk.

Option 2: BUY – Acquire a Longevity Clinic or Concept

Some operators choose to accelerate their positioning by acquiring an existing longevity or wellness business.

What it looks like:

• Acquiring a clinic, recovery brand, or longevity concept
• Instantly adding expertise and infrastructure

Pros

• ✔ Speed to market
• ✔ Immediate credibility and capability

Cons

• ✖ High acquisition costs
• ✖ Integration risk across culture, systems, and brand

This route favors larger groups with M&A experience and the operational maturity to manage complex integrations.

Option 3: PARTNER – Integrate External Longevity Providers

For many gyms, partnerships represent the fastest and most flexible entry point.

What it looks like:

• Collaborating with external providers in diagnostics, recovery, nutrition, or longevity medicine
• Embedding these services into the gym ecosystem

Pros

• ✔ Fastest path to market
• ✔ Lower upfront investment

Cons

• ✖ Requires strong governance
• ✖ Success depends heavily on partner quality and alignment

Why Most Partnerships Fail and How to Make Them Work

Partnerships are often misunderstood as simple “rent-a-room” arrangements. This almost always leads to a fragmented, inconsistent member experience.

Successful partnerships only work if the gym operator:

• Owns the member relationship
• Controls experience quality and standards
• Aligns incentives, data sharing, and governance rules

Without this, gyms risk operational chaos and brand dilution.

What Most Successful Gyms Will Do

Most successful operators are unlikely to choose just one path forever.

A common and effective strategy looks like this:

1. Start with PARTNER to enter the market quickly
2. Learn the demand, pricing, and operational realities
3. Then selectively MAKE or BUY once the model is proven

This phased approach balances speed, learning, and long-term value creation.

Final Thought

Longevity is not a trend: it is a structural shift in consumer expectations.

Gyms that move early and choose the right integration strategy will position themselves at the center of preventive health and wellness. Those that delay risk becoming increasingly irrelevant.

If you were running a gym today, which option would you choose first?
MAKE. BUY. Or PARTNER.