High-end fitness chain Equinox is launching one of the most expensive gym memberships in the world at $40,000 per year. This program, called “Optimize by Equinox,” is a personalized health program aimed at improving overall health and longevity. Teaming up with lab-test startup Function Health, the program includes personal training, nutrition plans, sleep coaching, and massage therapy. The fields of medicine, biotech, fitness, and nutrition are merging in the quest to slow the effects of aging, making this program a part of the fast-growing market for longevity and wellness.
Optimize starts with a battery of tests, with Function Health testing members for 100 biomarkers and Equinox running its own fitness tests. These tests are repeated twice a year to track progress. An Equinox “concierge” helps members design a personalized plan based on the test results and data collected. Each member will have a core team, including a fitness trainer, nutrition coach, sleep coach, and massage therapist, to support them on their health and fitness journey.
The Optimize membership includes three 60-minute training sessions per week with a top-level trainer, as well as sessions with a nutrition coach, sleep coach, and massage therapist. The program provides a total of 16 hours a month of coaching and training for each member. Equinox compares this approach to that of Formula One or an athlete, where a team of experts designs a program based on data collected from tests and assessments.
The move marks a major test of Equinox’s expansion beyond fitness into the broader health and wellness business, which has become a booming market among the affluent. The company recently refinanced $1.2 billion in existing debt and closed a new $1.8 billion funding round. Equinox plans to open new clubs and expand its locations globally, focusing on the four pillars of longevity: movement, regeneration, nutrition, and community.
The Optimize program will cost $3,000 per month for a minimum of six months, totalling about $40,000 or more for the year. This fee does not include an Equinox gym membership. The program is a human-first, highly luxury service that combines data and coaching to help members improve their health and well-being. It will be initially available in New York City and Highland Park, Texas, with plans to roll out to other states. Members will be able to train at Equinox’s elite “E Clubs,” which offer higher membership fees.
Function Health’s mission is to help people live “100 healthy years,” with their program costing $499 for the tests of 100 biomarkers. They have a waitlist of over 200,000 people due to high demand. Function Health partnered with Equinox because of their leadership in the industry and their ability to provide personalized fitness and health programs. Living a healthy life involves daily decisions and exercise, and Equinox aims to help members achieve their health and longevity goals through their comprehensive program.
