“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Vitality Living is a “disruptor”—we refuse to accept aging as it was in our parent’s generation.

When my father turned 80, he sold our family home and moved into an assisted living home. Exhausted after over 50 years of maintenance, landscaping and repair, he stubbornly sat down—and didn’t get up again for much of anything. I watched him deteriorate over the years until his fatal stroke and I swore that I would never let that happen to anyone I knew and loved again. And that commitment became the impetus for the creation of Vitality Living. We are going to take the trail less traveled.

This trail leads to a longer, more vibrant life for seniors—Life as described in the book The Blue Zones, depicting the lifestyles of those who live longest around the world. Other books and studies also document that the basic premises of a healthy, happy life revolve around how we

Move,
Think,
Eat
Commune with others

Those factors make us feel happy and are what drive Vitality Living, a concierge health and wellness program for seniors that focuses on living better while we are living longer.

Vitality Living will bring concierge health and wellness service directly to 55+ adult communities, better utilizing their facilities and time by customizing fitness, nutrition and health-related classes and presentations, entertainment, social gatherings, visits to area cultural and wellness centers—All providing a fun and functional program of activities that keep seniors moving, active, eating well and socializing. Managers and owners of these communities will welcome the organization, variety and cost-effectiveness of Vitality Living’s concierge program and the residents will enjoy the customization and activities that enhance their lifestyles and health.

Anyone who has ever visited a nursing home knows that this is NOT the way most seniors want to age. Certainly not the burgeoning Baby Boomer generation who feels younger than its predecessors. Boomers have often been caretakers of their parents and do not want to follow in those footsteps. Boomers want to look and feel good and will spend the money to do so. The PEW Foundation reports that by 2030 the Baby Boomer generation will turn 65 comprising 18% of the nation and ¾ of them want to age at home. Florida has the largest senior population in the country with 23%  60+ growing to 28% in 2020, so it is the ideal location to launch Vitality Living.

The Baby Boomer market, those born between is the largest population segment in history! According to the U.S. Census, 10,000 people turn 65 every day and will for the next 19 years. By 2050 there will be 160 million 50+ customers—a 63% increase since 2010.  This powerful group will not have enough younger people to care for them so there is a major motivator to staying healthy and activity is the ticket to Dynamic Aging.  Vitality Living will set the Gold Standard for Senior Lifestyles.

And this generation is into fitness. Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) reports that seniors prefer group classes, outdoor activities and individual sports, and “as they continue to age, their commitment to active lifestyles remains.

While over 60% are active, 40% are inactive and require more motivation and inspiration to get them moving! This is the goal of Vitality Living—to serve the active and motivate and lead the inactive market.

Research from Morgan Stanley and Immersion Active, a digital marketing agency that focuses on seniors, reports that Boomers are expected to spend 3.4% more on health than their parents did and they control roughly half of all spending in the U.S., 70% of all disposable income—a total of about $2.3 TRILLION each year. And, over the next 20 years, spending by people 50+ is expected to increase by 58% to $4.74 trillion

Boomers also spend at least 11 hours/week online, own 33% of all tablets and 40% of all Apple products, so marketing to them via Facebook—their favorite site–is efficient. Social media will reach the Boomer audience as well as their children, who will encourage their parents to look into Vitality Living.

The housing industry strives to keep up with the senior population with the development of senior housing reported by trade organizations as the #1 residential investment, #2 commercial investment for foreign companies and #4 by U.S. companies.

While there are over 97 55+ communities is Broward and Palm Beach Counties alone, there are hundreds more condominium developments, independent and assisted living homes in those two counties (over 294 according to aplaceformom.com) – all needing activities to keep the residents as satisfied customers in their communities. Such activities were cited recently in an International Council on Aging Benchmark Study as important to selling new residences and keeping levels of satisfaction high.

Vitality Living is the ideal entrepreneurial venture to bring health and wellness to South Florida’s senior community, and then help it spread throughout the state and country.

 As a Baby Boomer, Marilyn DeMartini knows and IS the market and has been active in marketing to and teaching fitness and yoga in the adult community for over 25 years. Her marketing agency, PR Power has been instrumental in helping many sports and fitness companies achieve their marketing goals. Prior, she was a national sports & fitness journalist for 10 years, in publications like Men’s Fitness, Golf Tips, Healing Spas & Retreats and New You and was the longevity medicine writer for GNC’s Men’s magazine, PRIME.

The business will be marketed through writing articles, blogs, working with other senior service organizations, gaining publicity and participating in senior trade shows. We will reach the targeted audience of 55+ community managers and their residents through active networking and personal sales calls. We will recruit the best instructors in the market to join this vibrant team and will partner with the top medical, professional and entertainment organizations in the area to bring the best services and information to my clients.

“I consider it my strength, goal and passion to help inspire, motivate and lead seniors in the exciting path to enhanced longevity.”  Marilyn DeMartini, founder Vitality Living

The costs associated with the classes, activities, educational programs, social outings and sporting and fitness events will be kept within the budgets of the 55+ communities with the balance being charged to the residents who will find value in the expenditure as they find enjoyment and positive health results from the exciting Vitality Living activities.

Vitality Living is Transforming Lifestyles for Seniors by bringing the healthy activities, educational programs, entertainment, nutritional food and cooking classes, social encounters and sports events to senior communities across Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Licensing in the coming years to other strong senior markets will continue this effort throughout the state and the nation.

By creating a template that works in South Florida’s Mecca for retirees, Vitality Living can prove that rather than age “gracefully,” we can age dynamically!