Healthspan In The High Country: A New Model For Living Better, Longer

Quality of life is a term that matters to everyone as it speaks to living a happy and healthy existence. In fact, many people live in the mountains to enhance their quality of life, which aligns with the thesis of Healthspan. By focusing on helping clients remain active, strong and mentally sharp, Healthspan takes a proactive, data-driven approach to optimizing health at every stage through lifestyle interventions at Vail Health.

Josiah Middaugh (right) guides a Healthspan participant through the VO2 Max test as part of the Thrive assessment, which creates a baseline for the personalized health journey

“In the past 100 years, medical advances have extended the average lifespan, but have done very little to improve the quality of those years,” says Josiah Middaugh, Vail Healthspan program director and lead exercise physiologist. “At the same time, we have this modern problem of comfort, instant gratification and abundance that has paved the path towards chronic disease.”

Journey to Lasting Change

Vail Health’s eight-month, multidisciplinary wellness program takes an all-encompassing approach to testing a variety of factors — including fitness, body composition, sleep and nutrition — to guide and support individuals.

“We recognized early on that we need to optimize for each individual,” says Middaugh. “Our clients encompass 20- to 80-year-olds with a wide range of fitness levels and unique health profiles. It is important to address all components of health as each decade of life has challenges and opportunities.”

Middaugh explains that the eight-month timeframe gives patients enough space to make new health habits permanent as Healthspan is meant to be a “real, sustainable change that will alter the trajectory of people’s lives.”

A Team Approach to Whole-Body Health

The program’s network of care integrates clinicians (trained in functional, metabolic and lifestyle medicine), coaches (strength and endurance specialists) and nutritionists (who develop personalized health assessments). It also includes Sleep & Stress Resilience (strategies to improve sleep quality), Wearable Integration (real-time biometrics and AI-driven insights to track progress and personalize recommendations), Healthspan Masterclasses (weekly, online classes) and Community & Accountability (help with engagement and motivation).

Middaugh adds, “We think of each client as being CEO of their own healthcare, so they start the program with a certain purpose or direction that may evolve as they learn more about their bodies and capabilities.”

Vail Health offers three different tiers of programs to match clients’ goals and lifestyles, as well as other focused assessment packages and individual tests.

Community-Centered Care

Another key aspect that sets Healthspan apart is the combination of in-person testing and remote access while emphasizing the importance of community impact, educational components and long-term value.

Healthspan provides free community events and educational opportunities to make knowledge accessible to everyone.

“Many that self-select for the program are already focused on their health, but we are also very eager to serve those that need it the most and could see the most dramatic health benefits,” says Middaugh.

For more information, visit vailhealthspan.com.

This spotlight is a sponsored partnership.