The house that Mel and Enid Zuckerman built 25 years ago is surrounded by casitas and lodges, amid greenery and sculpture. Mel does Pilates, lifts weights, and exercises along with guests in the eight gyms a short walk from his home. He eats a balanced diet, watching fats and carbs, which the dining room staff seems to anticipate.

Rejuvenation comes from the inside out, he told a reporter for USA Today. "You can alter how people look, but you are not going to extend their lives. The best way is for an individual to adopt healthy lifestyle habits."

Don't talk to him about anti-aging. "I hate that term. ‘Anti' means you're against something. I prefer the term ‘optimal aging.' You can improve the process, slow it down.
But you can't oppose it."

Looking trim and vigorous, Mel feels ravages of time. He destroyed his knees training for a marathon his doctors told him not to run. He lost hearing in one ear as a result of 1986 surgery to remove a benign tumor. But he says he feels terrific.
Enid Zuckerman shares Mel's passion for life. After a bout of melanoma, her recovery was aided by a regimen of exercise and diet. Enid played an active role in establishing Canyon Ranch skin care and body products. And she remembers doing maid duty in the early years when housekeeping staff failed to show up. Married 51 years, they have two children and two grandchildren.

Turning 76 last May, Mel remembers fondly his A-ha moment in Ojai. Inspired by Sheila Cluff's program, he and Enid decided to combine fitness and lifestyle training. "What we are and continue to be is an educational and lifestyle vacation," he explains.

They built the first Center for Life enhancement at the Tucson ranch, providing a structured week-long program that combines health assessments with workouts and personal training. In total, they now boast a staff of 2,200, including physicians, nutritionists, and fitness trainers.

Doctors and health professionals come for continuing medical education courses. No strangers to the philanthropic world, Mel and Enid have donated millions to fight cancer and promote preventative medicine. And awarded more than 5,000 Canyon Ranch Healthy Living Scholarships that enable people with potentially life-threatening health risks to learn how to cope.

Helping people turn their life around remains the ranch mission. Prevention and self-responsibility, rather than disease care and management, are the future of health resorts, says Zuckerman. Asked what is most satisfying to him, Mel quickly responds:

"My most gratifying moments are when guests tell me, ‘I got it!'

What’s Next for Mel Zuckerman

Changing times are ahead for the wellness industry, says Canyon Ranch founder Mel Zuckerman, and spas should be prepared to capitalize on trends that are shaping healthy lifestyles.

The growth of medical spas in the U.S. confirms Mel Zuckerman’s original concept for Canyon Ranch. Wellness and spa pampering co-exist at his resorts. But he wants to keep the spa experience separate from serious medical programs.

Response from the medical community led to expansion of facilities and staff at the original Tucson Canyon Ranch. Recently introduced, a four-day executive health checkup provides comprehensive testing and lab work, along with nutritional and physical evaluations. Zuckerman believes this will attract health plans to invest in prevention of illness and reimburse participants in the ranch checkups.

Inviting doctors and health care professionals to learn about preventive medicine at the ranch has brought many converts to the spa experience, Mel believes. His alliance with Dr. Andrew Weill began more than 20 years ago, and helped convince the University of Arizona medical school to offer distance learning programs on alternative medicine via the Web.

Residential developments are part of Zuckerman’s vision for new Canyon Ranch Living communities. With the first scheduled to open in 2006 on Miami Beach, Canyon Ranch Management, LLC, run by Zuckerman and Jerry Cohen, is negotiating with developers in Canada and the U.S.

Asked what he would do different if opening the ranch today, Zuckerman responded: “Nothing.”

© SPA MANAGEMENT JOURNAL - JANUARY 2005

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