AGEING RESEARCH
“When a test reveals an older physiological age, clients are relieved there are ways of slowing telomere shortening through lifestyle changes”
Fast-forward to today’s breaking
news. In a large clinical study, the average telomere length was measured in 100,000 patients from Kaiser Permanente, one of America’s biggest care organisations. Using the saliva- based TeloTest, it was found that individuals who had short telomeres had an increased risk of death in a three- year follow-up period. Smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, lower education and poor environment were found to be associated with short telomeres, while moderate exercise was associated with longer telomeres. The size of the Kaiser study goes a
long way towards validating previous findings. There are more than 10,000 peer-reviewed scientific publications already in existence which show that factors such as exercise, more and better sleep, healthy food choices and meditation are linked to preventing telomere shortening. So what does all of this mean for the wellness industry?
Turn back the clock? Scientific research has revealed that stress is high on the list of factors that can prematurely shorten telomere length. The relaxing nature of spas and the stress-busting benefits of a gym workout make these important elements to improve one’s ageing status – and even reverse the negative effects of premature ageing. Telomere testing – telomere molecular measurement – could be used by operators to demonstrate the impact of their restorative, stress-reducing offering. Although there are no large,
• Increasing exercise: Incorporating four to five training sessions each week
controlled clinical trials published yet, given the multitude of existing studies, it’s possible that the following may be helpful for maintaining or even lengthening telomeres:
• Improving nutrition: Implementing a low-fat diet, with less red and processed
• Improving metabolism: Starting a weight-loss programme
meat, and talking to a nutritionist about dietary supplements
• Enhancing wellbeing: Reducing psychological stress and depression and
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• Decreasing stress: Adding yoga and meditation to lifestyle programmes
increasing feelings of personal control and purpose in life
Opportunities for operators In June 2012, Epel outlined the potential of telomere health to a host of spa leaders at the annual Global Spa & Wellness Summit (GSWS). She said that
“telomere science is just the tip of the iceberg” and that, as the connection between healthy behaviour and the measurable forestalling of disease and cellular ageing grows stronger, “the implications for the spa and wellness industry is profound”. There are two clear opportunities for
health club operators to use telomere diagnostics. Firstly, the technique could be used to help prove the effectiveness of corporate wellness programmes – as well as standard gym memberships in higher-end clubs – as stress-reduction in staff is one of the key goals for corporate employers worldwide. Health clubs and spas have a huge opportunity to tap into the workplace wellness industry which, according to the World Economic Forum, is worth US$30bn- plus (€22.5bn, £18.9bn). Health club operators could, for example, provide TeloAge diagnostic information about employees’ health, with tailored workout, relaxation and nutrition plans for individuals, then repeating the tests to monitor health improvements. Secondly, operators can latch onto
the personalised wellness movement that’s gaining momentum. The World’s Youngest Populations study by Euromonitor showed that, at the beginning of 2012, half of the world’s population was aged over 30 – and a growing number of this demographic have an interest in actively managing their health (see HCM April 13, p39). Knowledge about your health status is empowering, and can lead to a shift towards healthy lifestyle behaviours. In the Boomers Value Realignment
Study, conducted in 2011 by US real estate advisory firm Civano Living, it was reported that 84 per cent of baby boomers in the US are “somewhat to very interested” in health and fitness
Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
Elizabeth Blackburn was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
plans designed for them. Measuring telomere length as an overall health barometer will be a key component in this personalised wellness revolution. John Kao, chair of the US Institute
for Large Scale Innovation, who also spoke at last year’s GSWS, highlighted the fitness and wellness industries’ need to “move from the event-driven model and create much more sustainable connections and experiences”. The ability to benchmark people’s health through telomere testing, followed by a personalised programme – both for workouts within the club and lifestyle choices beyond – with a six-month re-test is an opportune way to stay connected to members. With a simple saliva telomere test, tracking the impact of various fitness and wellness therapies on telomere health is a reality. As the evidence mounts that health
clubs’ wellness approaches can modify telomeres – one of the few changeable parts of the human genome – a natural, major industry opportunity arises. ●
A version of this feature first appeared in Spa Business 1 2013.
Jay Williams, spa consultant, Telome Health Email
Jay@JayWilliamsPhD.com Phone +1 808 895 8080
July 2013 © Cybertrek 2013
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