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. 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 wort...