Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/1538963
P H OTO C O U R T E S Y O F S H A Expect a dizzying blizzard of a treatment schedule, in between bouts of sunbathing by the pool or walk ing on the beach. Mexico is a particular hotspot for cutting-edge longevity–meets-wellness for simple reasons: The Mexican health authority is nimble and flexible, allowing clinics to offer high-dose, lab-cultured stem cell and exosome treatments, legally, and at dosages far higher than might even be offered in a clinical trial stateside. No wonder that a short drive up the coast from Nizuc, on Playa Azul, you'll find another high-end entrant in the same sector: SHA. Its offering isn't centered solely on rejuvenating jabs, but rather on an integrated medical program where stem cells and the like are an optional, but often popular, component. Spend eight days at SHA and expect a dizzying blizzard of a treatment schedule, in between bouts of sunbathing by the pool or walking on the beach. The day might start, as mine did, with 45 minutes on a bed of cold atmospheric plasma, tingling slightly, as the so-called Human Regenerator silently reorders the electromagnetic impulses in my cells. "It's good electromagnetic energy, like nature," explains one of the medical specialists, who says this type of session will have the same mental and physical benefits as "walking on grass for six hours." Then again, it could be a session in the gym with a physical therapist. "You have good form," my physical therapist tells me, before warning, "But your hip and ankle mobility need work." Or the day could begin with a quick trip to an onsite clinic for a saline IV, infused with ozone. "It will clean the bacteria and fungi from your body and rejuvenate your cells, so you can recover faster after exercise," explains the nurse. "You'll feel tired today, but energized tomorrow." (True, and true.) This comprehensive program isn't simply a spa break, though: SHA claims that those signing up for its Advanced Longevity program will slow down their cellular aging. Put another way: Those sessions will bolster their chances of living both longer and better. SHA's story mirrors that of Nizuc's new wellness operation. It was founded on Spain's Costa Blanca just outside Benidorm in 2008 by real estate developer Alfredo Bataller Parietti after his own successful fight FROM ABOVE The hydrotherapy circuit at SHA; the resort's fitness training infinity pool BALHAR B O U RSH O P S .CO M