When people think of longevity hotels, they often have a certain picture in mind: expensive, strict, a little strange. Some of it is true, much of it is not. Here are the seven most common myths and what is really behind them.
- A health holiday does not mean starving: at most houses you eat well.
- The houses are made for healthy people who want to stay healthy, not for the sick.
- Serious houses rely on doctors, not on promises.
“You have to starve”
This is the most common myth, and it is usually not true. Real fasting, for example the Buchinger method, is only one of many programmes. On a Mayr cure you eat small, light meals, and many longevity programmes involve no diet at all.
If you want to fast, you do so under medical supervision. Fasting is not suitable for everyone, for example during pregnancy or with certain conditions. A serious house clarifies this with you beforehand.
“It is only for sick people”
Quite the opposite. Longevity and medical spa hotels are aimed at people who feel healthy and want to stay that way. It is about prevention, rest and good habits, not treatment.
If you are acutely ill, your doctor or a clinic is the better place.
Most guests do not come because they are ill, but because they do not want to become ill.
“Only the rich can afford it”
The best-known houses are expensive, that is true. But there are many ways in between: a long weekend instead of three weeks, a thermal cure instead of a big check-up, a double room instead of a single. Simple Ayurveda weeks are available from around €1,000.
What a stay costs exactly, we show in the guide “What a cure really costs”.
“It feels like a hospital”
Good health hotels are beautiful hotels first. The examination rooms are there, but you spend most of your time in your room, in the spa, at meals or outdoors. Many guests forget after a day that they are in a medical house.
“It is all esoteric nonsense”
There is both, and that is exactly why a close look pays off. Serious houses have licensed doctors, explain their programmes openly and also tell you what a test cannot do.
Be careful when healing is promised or when the stay ends mainly in expensive products. That is exactly what we select by at Luxly.
“It is only for women”
To many men, spa sounds like cucumber face masks. A check-up with cardiovascular tests, blood values and a fitness test, on the other hand, is exactly what many men put off for years. On holiday it can be done in peace, without any cucumber masks.
“A few days do nothing”
A week will not change your life overnight. But a few days are enough to calm down, sleep better and find out where you stand with your health. And often a few habits stay with you at home. That is more than most holidays achieve.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between fasting and the Mayr cure?
On Buchinger fasting you largely go without solid food. On a Mayr cure you eat small, easily digestible meals and learn to eat slowly and mindfully.
Do I have to be sporty?
No. The programmes adapt to you. Exercise is usually part of it, but at your pace: walks, yoga, swimming.
How do I recognise a serious house?
By a medical team with clear specialisms, programmes whose content you can read beforehand, and by nobody promising you a cure.
Luxly does not provide medical advice. Whether a programme suits you is something to discuss with the house's medical team or your own doctor.
