Takeaway
One deliberately structured day — real food, intentional movement, alone time, and doing things that matter to you — could give you a good read on what your body needs without the price tag of a getaway.
Do you ever feel like summer comes with an expectation to ‘make the most’ of it?
By the time autumn rolls around, you ought to feel rested and rejuvenated. The sunshine. The holidays. The promise…
It's August, and I’m still waiting for the feeling. But after talking to someone who just returned from Clinique La Prairie, a luxury Swiss longevity clinic, I wondered how I could bring the holiday to me — could I borrow some of the best bits of a healthy retreat and recreate them at home?
It might not include the mountains, Michelin-worthy chefs, or the advanced testing, but it also doesn’t have a starting price of $19,000.
A "longevity resort-style" day is still a chance for rejuvenation, experimentation with healthy habits, and discovering which are worth keeping.
Sometimes you need a break. I hope this guide to an ‘at-home longevity resort’ helps you make the most of your summer.
You're checking into a retreat. What's your first stop?
What is a longevity resort?
Beyond the panoramic landscapes, longevity clinics, retreats, and resorts aim to support well-being and sometimes measurable health outcomes. Whether they’re more lifestyle- or precision-based, the best-known ones— such as Clinique La Prairie, SHA, Blue Zones, Lanserhof, Chenot — often share some common, evidence-based themes: baseline health assessments, personalized programming, and lifestyle interventions around nutrition, movement, mind, and stress, writes Institut Hippocrate.
Structuring your day
A day at your "longevity retreat" is not about totally copying a luxury clinic or replacing its unique healing modalities. Rather, how can we intentionally practice a handful of the same principles with the resources we have?
Here, it’s broken down into four pillars:
The resort menu
Movement and recovery
Mindfulness and emotional reset
Purpose-seeking
Longevity clinics build tailored nutrition plans, but you can echo the same principles at home.
Like SHA and Blue Zones, eat by the concept of "food as medicine, medicine as food": plant-forward, rich in legumes, whole grains, healthy fats, fermented foods, and fiber.
Aim for three meals (ideally shared). If you want to go all in, try skipping red meat, added sugar, alcohol, and caffeine.
A sample menu
Wake up: Miso broth (SHA-inspired)
Breakfast: Whole-grain oatmeal with berries and nuts
Lunch: Seaweed salad with quinoa pilaf
Dinner: Baked wild-caught salmon over arugula with a citrusy fennel purée
Many clinics also offer herbal teas throughout the day. If you feel like experimenting, SHA serves Daikon tea, which may promote digestion.
Make it social: Consider inviting friends to join you for your resort day. Having them cook and share meals with you is a Blue Zones hallmark linked to better digestion, lower stress, and improved mental well-being.
Pillar 2: Body – Move and recover
Clinics build the day around movement, recovery, and time outdoors. At home, try fitting in two or three intentional sessions.
Guided movement (30–45 min): Book a session with a trainer or coach, or attend a yoga class. It’s not reinventing the wheel, but extra intention can add a layer of luxury and self-care that can get lost in everyday life.
Heat or cold exposure: A sauna or cold plunge delivers some of the "post-treatment" feeling resorts are known for.
If you have access to a sauna, spend 15–20 minutes inside, then cool down and rehydrate. No sauna? Book a session at a local gym or spa.
A cold plunge—or even a cold shower—can feel rejuvenating too. Men can benefit from colder temperatures, while women do well between 50–59°F, notes Dr. Stacy Sims*.
*Dr. Stacy Sims will be speaking at our Livelong Women's Health SummitTM in September.
Nature immersion (30–60 min): Time outdoors is a health prescription. Green space has been linked to lower stress and better mood, and it can help improve attention. Finding a place with an expansive view also inspires awe, which can help calm the nervous system and pull us out of fight-or-flight.
Pillar 3: Mind —Create an emotional reset
Longevity resorts favor outcomes over relaxation, using practices grounded in psychology and mind-body research. Can one intentional day really make a difference, though? Research suggests yes.
A single mindfulness session, such as a body scan, can lower anxiety and potentially improve other markers of healthy aging.
Like a meditation retreat, your experience—if led in a distraction-free environment—could promote introspection and emotional regulation. Consider trying any of the following:
Hypnotherapy: Clinique La Prairie uses elements of hypnotherapy as part of the Life Reset program. Ursula James, a clinical hypnotherapist, offers free audio-guided sessions for intentional well-being.
Guided meditation: Some experimental studies have found increases in positive emotions and feelings of social connection after a single guided session.
Breathwork: Clinique La Prairie includes breathwork sessions in some programs. Consider doing a heart coherence breathwork session (5.5 breaths in, 5.5 breaths out) for your vagus nerve.
Pillar 4: Purpose — Designing a life worth staying healthy for
Blue Zones retreats build in purpose workshops because having a clear “why” can motivate us toward healthier behaviors that help us live longer.
At home, block out one hour, alone or with friends, for an ikigai-style reflection:
When do I feel most alive and useful?
What activities make me forget to check my phone?
If I had one extra healthy year, what would I want more of?
What do people consistently come to me for help or advice with?
You don’t have to leave with an answer. The value is in asking the questions and noticing whether your habits reflect the life you’re hoping to build.
One day, I’d love to experience a true resort. Until then, I’ll keep borrowing the best parts at home—
Put it all together: Sample day at a glance
Morning fitness → Breakfast → Nature immersion (paired with the purpose workshop) → Lunch → Spa session → Emotional reset → Community dinner
*Make home feel more like a retreat
Keep phones away during meals and activities
Print or meal-prep recipes for easier, screen-free
Use Do Not Disturb unless it's an emergency
Declutter your space before retreat day
Incorporate natural candles, houseplants, and background lyric-free music
Take action
Ruck x Livelong Media x mindbodygreen: Join us Friday, August 21 at 9:00 AM for a women’s ruck hosted by our friends at YVO Hamptons. Come move, connect, and experience one of the most approachable ways to build longevity into your routine.
Sign up here →
Earn CE credits: Members of the Livelong Women's Inner Circle™ can now earn 10 CE hours through Pinnacle Conference, LLC. Physicians, nurses, PAs, pharmacists, dentists, dietitians, social workers, and athletic trainers can use code CECREDIT for $50 off their first year.
Make friends with women who enjoy women’s health: The Livelong Women’s Inner Circle TM is where women who are done going it alone figure it out together — with experts, with each other, and without the overwhelm. 👉 Join the Inner Circle
Poll response: This question comes from last week’s newsletter: Being cultured might help you age slower. We asked:
What’s a cultural activity you’ll never say no to?
The movies were your top choice, with the caveat being that most people who wrote in said they enjoy all cultural activities. I’m inspired by one reader who got tickets to Broadway musicals, symphony events, and has a European museum tour planned— Bon voyage!
Until next time!
Erin
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The information provided about wellness and health is for general informational and educational purposes only. We are not licensed medical professionals, and the content here should not be considered medical advice. Talk to a doctor before trying any of these suggestions.
