The first Blue Zones Center is set to launch in Miami, Florida, and showcase the next generation of longevity medicine.

The facility is underpinned by Blue Zones’ research which has identified evidence-based ways to help people live longer and stay well. The company's work is rooted in explorations and research done by National Geographic fellow Dan Buettner, who identified the ‘blue zones regions’ around the world where people live extraordinarily long and happy lives.

The upcoming 13-storey Miami facility will combine medical care, predictive diagnostics and preventive medicine to optimise disease management outcomes and inspire advanced patient wellbeing and longevity.

Home to a high-tech surgical centre and a diagnostic testing centre, the 220,000sq ft facility will be located in the upcoming Legacy Hotel & Residences* – a 50-storey mixed-use tower set to combine lifestyle, hospitality and longevity.

The facility will be home to a Blue Zones Health Zone which will provide a healthcare model that isn't dependent on illness but derives the bulk of its patient acquisition through improving wellbeing.

The Health Zone will be comprised of nine wellbeing centres under one roof:
• The Movement Center for Orthopedic Sports Medicine.
• The Nof1 Center of Lifestyle Medicine and Health Benchmarking.
• The Center for Early Diagnosis, Precision and Longevity Medicine.
• The Center for Visible Health and Vitality.
• The Center for Performance and Functional Fitness.
• The Downshift Center for Behavioral Health and Mindfulness.
• The Center for Specialized Medicine.
• The Center for Eyes, Ears, Nose and Throat.
• The Center for Longevity Research.

Stephen Watson, co-founder of the Blue Zones Center, is spearheading the project and commented on the concept.

He said: "This location will combine world leaders in longevity and lifestyle medicine with the latest innovations in predictive, preventive, longevity medicine. It will be a place where personalised care, preventive medicine and rejuvenation treatments all co-exist at once."

The upcoming facility is the product of a joint venture deal called Blue Legacy Ventures signed between Legacy and faith-based nonprofit integrated health system Adventist Health.

The location marks Adventist Health's and its subsidiary Blue Zones’ first flagship centre for wellbeing.

The process
The facility will tap regenerative medicine treatments to reverse the negative effects of ageing. These rituals will be paired with the Blue Zones’ Lifestyle Foundational Medicine and therapeutic treatments to improve patients’ life and longevity.

At the beginning of each guest’s journey, the facility will compile comprehensive data to generate a baseline health report card for each user. This will include health insights where the Health Zone team can recommend follow-up care, lifestyle medicine recommendations, products and services.

*Weaving wellness into hospitality
Legacy – the building which will house the Blue Zone Centre – forms part of the wider Miami Worldcenter megaproject, developed by the Royal Palm Companies.

Legacy will feature 219 hotel rooms and 310 residences all with Blue Zones’ Health Zone principles integrated into their design. As part of this, guests will be able to stay in exclusive Well-Being Rooms and Blue Zone Rooms designed for better patient care and outcomes.

The property will be complete with a high-end spa, an infinity-edge pool cantilevered 500ft above ground, Sleep Restore Rooms and Post-Surgical Rooms created to help optimise mental and physical wellness.

A global trend
Susie Ellis, industry figure and chair and CEO of the Global Wellness Summit and the Global Wellness Institute, contends that the Blue Zones lifestyle is part of a larger global trend that is seeing more people prioritising health and wellness when choosing where to live.

"The Miami Blue Zones Center will be an international flagship for how medicine and wellness can be brought together in one place.

“Since Covid-19, we’ve witnessed a huge trend in terms of the medical and wellness communities working together to solve health issues, focusing on prevention over disease treatment. This is the beauty of the Blue Zones' philosophy and lifestyle – it's all about prevention, longevity and quality of life.

“I think the Blue Zones Center in Miami will be a beacon for more Blue Zones Centers around the world, encouraging more people to live in places that prioritise health and wellness."

Enriching the local community
Sidney Stolz, chief design and experience officer for Blue Zones said: "Before The Health Zone at the Blue Zones Center opens, you’ll see us on the ground in communities, making a positive impact through Blue Zones activation.

“Blue Zones Project is where we are transforming communities by optimising environments that lead to longer, healthier, better lives everywhere, including the new Blue Zones Center in downtown Miami.”