Longevity stays: ten questions to ask before you book
Longevity clinics are multiplying, from Switzerland to the Gulf. What is solid, what is not yet, and ten questions that make the difference.
In short
- The core of a good stay is well known: move, sleep, eat well, and measure what matters.
- Part of what is offered (infusions, hyperbaric chambers, cryotherapy) remains unproven in healthy people.
- Ten questions and, for each, the answer that should reassure you.
A longevity stay brings together, in a few days, what a busy diary no longer allows: tests, consultations, time for yourself. The best programmes also do something less visible. They sort: what rests on evidence on one side, what is still a promise on the other.
What is solid
The best-proven effects on the length and quality of life are also the least spectacular. The World Health Organization recommends 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity a week, with muscle strengthening twice a week. Cardiorespiratory fitness is one of the strongest predictors of the risk of death: a serious programme measures it, then teaches you how to improve it.
Sleep, nutrition, blood pressure, lipids and blood sugar complete this foundation. A good stay leaves you with a plan for the year, not just a memory.
The ICI verdict on common offers
Exercise testing and VO2max; a supervised physical activity programme; a sleep assessment; a nutrition review; a body composition measurement.
Highly personalised programmes built on repeated measurements, such as continuous glucose monitoring or sleep tracking: useful for understanding, still little studied for long-term health.
NAD+ or vitamin “cocktail” infusions in healthy people; hyperbaric oxygen for “anti-ageing” (the most cited study, in 2020, involved 35 people and no control group); whole-body cryotherapy for longevity.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has recognised medical uses. “Anti-ageing” is not one of them.
The ten questions
- Who is the physician in charge, and what is their specialty?A medical programme needs a named, qualified physician who answers for it.A good answer: a name, a specialty, and a registration you can check with the country’s health authority.Watch for: “our medical team”, with no name.
- Is the facility licensed for the procedures it offers?Infusions, injections, imaging: each procedure requires a local licence.A good answer: a facility licence you can verify.Watch for: medical procedures offered in a hotel setting, with no identified medical structure.
- Which tests are planned, and why for me?A serious programme adapts to your age, your history and your goals.A good answer: a questionnaire and a conversation before arrival, then tests adjusted to you.Watch for: the same package for everyone.
- What evidence supports the treatments offered?Ask what is established, and what remains experimental.A good answer: a clear distinction between the two, without hedging.Watch for: “revolutionary”, “rejuvenation”, testimonials in place of studies.
- Who explains the results to me, and in which language?Results explained in person, by a physician, change everything.A good answer: a physician, in person, with time for questions.Watch for: a report sent by email, with no conversation.
- What happens if a test reveals an abnormality?Who tells you, who refers you, and how quickly.A good answer: a pathway defined in advance, with named specialists.Watch for: “you will see with your own doctor”.
- Where is my health data stored?In which country, for how long, and who can access it.A good answer: a country, a retention period, limited access, and a copy for you.Watch for: data shared with partners “to personalise your experience”.
- What exactly does the price include?Tests, consultations, explanation of results, follow-up.A good answer: a written list, with any possible extras.Watch for: options proposed on site, as the stay goes on.
- What are the cancellation terms?And what happens if you need to cut the stay short.A good answer: written terms, before any payment.Watch for: a non-refundable deposit with no clear terms.
- How does follow-up work once I am home?The report should be easy to send to your usual physician.A good answer: a report you can share, and a review at three or six months.Watch for: follow-up that mostly means buying supplements.
These ten questions are also the ones in our grid. Keep them with you. Receive these ten questions as a PDF guide, to keep or pass on.
Sources
- World Health Organization, WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour, November 2020
- Mandsager K. et al., Association of Cardiorespiratory Fitness With Long-term Mortality, JAMA Network Open, 2018
- Hachmo Y. et al., Hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases telomere length and decreases immunosenescence in isolated blood cells: a prospective trial, Aging, 2020
Reviewed and approved by Rahima Khirennas, physician by training, on 5 November 2026.
For information only; not a substitute for medical advice.
Editorial responsibility: Infinite Care International LLC.
