Blu by Thrivewell photo
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South Florida has no shortage of wellness destinations these days, but a new 20,000-square-foot complex in Fort Lauderdale could significantly change the game. Blu by Thrivewell, which offers locals much more than your run-of-the-mill cold plunge or spin studio, officially marked its opening with a ribbon-cutting this week, on Wednesday, October 8.
Located at 1709 E. Commercial Blvd., Blu blends physician-led medical care, high-tech fitness, spa-like recovery, nutrition coaching, and even three pickleball courts under one roof. “We realized there are 10 to 20 additional healthy years at stake if people start [getting healthy] in their thirties, forties, or fifties instead of waiting until they’re older,” says co-founder Dr. Gordon Chen. “That became our calling — to help people gain those years.”
Blu by Thrivewell photo
Chen knows the terrain. With his wife Jessica, he spent two decades running ChenMed, a national healthcare company focused on older adults. There, he pinpointed that adding five to seven healthy years was possible even for patients in their seventies. Blu is the next phase of that mission, targeted at a wider age range and designed as a community rather than a clinic.
The facility has been operating quietly for a couple of months, but members are already reporting results. Chen points to clients who’ve boosted their VO2 max (a measurement of how much oxygen your body consumes while exercising) by 10 points — linked to a 50 percent drop in all-cause mortality risk — and others who have cut visceral fat in half. Those improvements aren’t coming from fad diets or quick fixes. Blu says it leans on advanced diagnostics, data-driven nutrition plans, and coaching to encourage lasting behavioral changes. “There are plenty of places that deliver services,” Chen says. “But there aren’t many that take accountability with you for outcomes.”
Blu by Thrivewell photo
That said, membership isn’t a casual drop-in here. Blu requires a 12-month commitment, with facility tiers ranging from $329 to $649 per month. Medical memberships start at $6,000 per year, while executive and elite integrated packages range up to $24,000. It is a serious investment, but one that comes with access to hyperbaric chambers, cryotherapy, IV therapy, advanced fitness testing, mindfulness programming, and a sleek LunariDXA scanner — one of only three in South Florida — that measures body composition with uncanny precision.
Chen and his team envision Blu as the first of many such facilities. Miami and Palm Beach are logical future markets, but for now, the focus is on Fort Lauderdale. “This is our home,” he says.
“What better place to build a longevity community than here, with our family, our friends, and our neighbors?”
Blu by Thrivewell. 1709 E. Commercial Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 754-300-4021; blubythrivewell.com.
