THE QUEST FOR LONGEVITY
Can a retreat help us to live longer?
The global pandemic reminded many of us of the fragility of life and how health is everything. People reconsidered their lifestyles and embarked on a journey to live in a healthier, more holistic way.
The retreats industry can, of course, play a pivotal role in this growing movement - but can a retreat really increase longevity?
While retreats can offer an array of health benefits such as stress reduction, improved mental wellbeing and the chance to focus on personal growth, there is no direct evidence to suggest that they can increase longevity on their own. Longevity is influenced by a combination of factors, including genetics, lifestyle choices, diet, exercise and access to healthcare.
However, what a retreat can do is give you the time to understand how to live a healthier, holistic life long-term and provide you with the tools and knowledge to do so. Think learning breath work to manage anxiety or recipes for healthy, tasty plant-based meals to cook at home. This is where a retreat can be literally life-changing.
The rejuvenation that comes from attending a retreat surely contributes to overall health too; providing a break from daily routines and allowing individuals to relax and recharge.
Often the connection that you have with other retreat attendees can be good for our health too. Loneliness has been estimated to shorten a person's life by 15 years; equivalent in impact to being obese or smoking 15 cigarettes per day.
Some key longevity factors also observed in the Blue Zones are: community, sense of purpose, healthy diets and good lifestyle.
So, retreats can certainly put us on the right track to a healthier and therefore an hopefully longer life.
If you want to push your longevity search further, you might want to try and experience a longevity spa, which are growing in popularity at the moment.
These go beyond traditional spas, which primarily focus on relaxation and pampering, to integrate a wide range of evidence-based practices aimed at promoting healthy aging and longevity.
Typically, longevity spa programs are tailored to the individual needs and goals of each guest. Emphasising a holistic approach to health, the spas often incorporate traditional healing methods such as Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine and indigenous practices, along with modern therapies, such as biohacking, regenerative medicine, cryotherapy, red-light therapy, genetic testing and stem cell therapy.
Chronic stress has a detrimental impact on health and accelerates the aging process, so promoting mental wellbeing is a focus of longevity spas too; with mindfulness practices, meditation sessions and workshops on stress management helping participants to achieve emotional balance.
And because nutrition plays a vital role in our health, longevity spas usually offer wholesome, nutrient-dense meals that support optimal health, detox the body and provide anti-aging benefits.
Some of our favourite longevity retreats include REVĪVŌ Wellness Resort in Bali.
Meaning “I live again” in Latin, guests are invited to embark on a transformative journey to health and happiness.
Nestled in Bali's serene Nusa Dua hills, you can immerse yourself in mindful practices, movement classes, meditation and exceptional spa treatments.
Plus indulge in a personalised food menu that nourishes and cleanses.
REVIVO offers a thorough consultation to every guest as a first step before they embark on their wellness journey. By shaping each program to best suit individual needs, it benefits guests not only physically but also emotionally, meeting them at precisely the moment they are in life.
One of the brand’s new developments includes the launch of a NEW IV and VITALITY centre, located at REVĪVŌ Nusa Dua; offering cutting-edge longevity treatments such as high-quality IVs and Peptide add-ons like NAD (a key coenzyme that helps with multiple metabolic functions) and Ozone Therapy (where gas or liquid forms of ozone are used to treat medical conditions).
Other excellent examples of longevity clinics include the Italian wellness medical retreat, Palazzo Fiuggi, where your week is filled with morning hikes, afternoon fitness classes, deep tissue massages, healthy, plant-based cuisine, diagnostic testing and a medical consultation; or Lucia Magnani’s Health Clinic in Italy where Lucia Magnani, together with her researchers, have developed Long Life Formula® a scientific method aimed at improving the quality and life expectancy.
They believe that through the study of oxidative stress, it’s possible through nutrition and targeted supplementation, to activate a cellular redox rebalancing, a guarantee of cell health and an efficient immune system.
As the demand for holistic wellness experiences continues to grow, longevity spas and retreats are expected to be at forefront of the wellness industry; inspiring individuals to embrace aging with grace, vitality and a profound sense of overall wellbeing.