
The Week in Leisure
The Gamification of Longevity, Reclaiming Rest, Reshaping Travel, and Redefining Play

I’ve been a fan of The Ageist, a media platform dedicated to aging well, since meeting David Stewart several years ago at a Global Wellness Summit. So, when he announced the creation of a new sports competition based on biomarkers of longevity, I was immediately interested.
What most longevity brands get wrong is that they focus on the wrong things. Longevity is not really about high-tech equipment, cutting edge diagnostics, or advanced medical oversight. You can see the best doctor in the world, get the most detailed diagnostics, and take a test drive on the latest bio-hacking machines on the market. But if you immediately go back to your old habits and lifestyle, your longevity will not change a bit.
Conversely, you could skip the fancy longevity clinic with the expensive doctors and the most cutting-edge equipment and still completely transform your health and longevity through good, old-fashioned behavior modification.
The “Super Age Games” offers a new way of driving meaningful behavior change by creating an event that encourages people to “train for what really matters.” Using sports, play, and competition, the Super Age Games has potential to drive meaningful lifestyle change for participants in a way that most longevity clinics never could.
I was curious enough to cough up the $400 for the first event this November in New York. It’s expensive. But a lot less than a year-long membership at most longevity clinics, and probably more fun. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.
In health,
Jeremy


🦉 Philosophy & Culture
“I Am Quite at My Leisure”
This is a long read, but worthwhile. In a modern world obsessed with “hustle culture,” this essay explores how we romanticize spare time through the lens of Jane Austen novels and cozy video games like Stardew Valley. It argues that true leisure requires a deliberate escape from the grind mechanics of daily life, offering a profound reflection on why we struggle to simply do nothing. (Vol. 1 Brooklyn)
What AI Can't Do
Drawing on the philosophy of Josef Pieper, this piece contends that the frenetic pace of artificial intelligence threatens our capacity for true leisure and contemplation. It serves as a powerful reminder that the art of silence and the ability to ponder are essential, irreplaceable components of human culture. (The Imaginative Conservative)
“The speed of our industrial society has long imposed a brutal pace of life. It has produced a nausea for reflection, a shallowness of thought and a wearing away of all that is most human.”
🔬 Science & Psychology
Early Imaginative Play Predicts Better Mental Health
A major longitudinal study reveals that toddlers who excel at pretend play are significantly less likely to experience emotional and behavioral difficulties by primary school. The findings suggest that imaginative play is not merely recreational, but a foundational developmental tool that wires the brain for long-term resilience. (Neuroscience News)
Finnish Cold-Water Swimmers Use Frigid Dips to Cure the Modern Rush
New research demonstrates that the intense physical shock of cold-water swimming actually alters how individuals perceive time, transforming chaotic stress into extreme mental stillness. This psychological shift provides a profound, efficient buffer against the crushing weight of modern expectations and daily anxieties. (PsyPost)
📈 Business & Strategy
Outdoor Recreation Market Update – April 2026
Despite broader macroeconomic pressures, the outdoor recreation market continues to see robust growth and strong M&A activity, particularly in the sporting goods and boating segments. Consumers are prioritizing experience-driven purchases, proving that spending on outdoor leisure remains highly resilient. (Capstone Partners)
Global Leisure Travel Growth: Insights from the Virtuoso Symposium
While overall global leisure travel growth is leveling out, high-value luxury segments continue to outperform expectations with strong forward bookings and pricing power. The data highlights a resilient industry where travelers are opting to reroute rather than cancel trips in the face of geopolitical uncertainty. (Travel Market Report)
✨ Innovation & Design
Immersive London Studio Uses Projection Mapping to Transport Exercisers
A new "Future Studios" space in Central London is utilizing advanced projection mapping technology to create 360-degree sensory fitness journeys. By transforming the studio into any environment—from a serene landscape for yoga to a Japanese dojo—this innovation represents the next frontier in experiential leisure design. (FitTech Global)

Photo by Everyone Active / Flareform
Super Age Games Announces “First Longevity Fitness Competition”
The latest hybrid fitness competition gamifies longevity with eight trials that are built around evidence-based biomarkers of longevity. Details of the race are still somewhat mysterious, but the biomarkers referenced include VO2 max, cognitive functioning, grip strength, balance, endurance, agility and social intelligence. Participants get a year-long subscription to a training platform with guidance towards improving across these eight markers of longevity. (Super Age Games)

Photo by Maximilian Bungar / Super Age Games
“Most fitness events measure how fast you can run or how much you can lift. The Super Age Games measures something more important: how long you’ll live well.”
🌍 Destinations & Communities
Travel in 2026: A Resilient Industry with Rewritten Assumptions
A comprehensive analysis shows that despite economic and geopolitical challenges, holidays remain a non-negotiable expense for most consumers. Notably, older travelers are driving the most growth in travel spend, while the cruise industry is seeing a massive influx of younger passengers, shattering long-held industry assumptions. (Barclays)
“For all the excitement around AI, both as a tool for inspiration and a driver of efficiencies, to me, it is still an aid and boost to what travel businesses do, not a total reinvention. . . No sensible business is anti-technology, but there is a growing trend towards offering the human touch as a selling point, particularly for high-net-worth individuals.”

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