Biohacking is big business and it continues to come with a hefty price tag. But can we hack our bodies without spending thousands? Anna Evdokimou takes a deep dive into the world of longevity.
If you haven’t heard of ‘biohacking’, it’s a broad term that encompasses a wide range of activities, but its goal is to optimise health and wellbeing according to your biometric data. Most people associate biohacking with an overall goal of slowing down the aging process, but it’s also about enhancing your physical abilities, improving your body and generally living a healthy life.
At the core of biohacking is prevention. It’s about optimising our wellbeing and enhancing our lifespans by being as informed as possible about our bodies; knowing everything from what we lack to what we have in surplus.
As biohacking continues to garner intrigue, clinics have popped up across London like new flowers in spring.
The likes of Repose Space, Biowell Health and HUM2N — among a plethora of others — are offering a variety of treatments, from DNA epigenetic tests to cryotherapy chamber sessions.
Meanwhile, longevity has become a mainstream buzzword, with Instagram and TikTok feeds filled with experts and influencers espousing their personal favourite wellness hacks, routines and treatments promising to help you live longer.
To put it simply, the biohacking industry has steamed forward into 2025 with relentless drive and unyielding ambition.
And in today’s world, Pilates classes and daily walks are entry-level pursuits. If you’re looking to bowl in the longevity big leagues, you’ll need to turn your attention to the science behind your body, and more specifically: how to biohack your way to optimum health.
But jumping on the biohacking bandwagon comes with a hefty price tag, one that’s not realistic for the everyday individual.
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According to Precedence Research, the global biohacking market is currently valued at $37.63bn, and is forecasted to hit around $178.19bn by 2034.
These are big numbers, and they stem from wealthy consumers paying large sums for regular visits to health-hacking clinics, where the average cost of an IV drip ranges from £100 to £300 per treatment.
As cliched as is sounds (and feels to write), knowledge is power when it comes to health and wellbeing — and there aren’t many who are more knowledgeable about biohacking than Bryan Johnson.
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If you haven’t heard of the entrepreneur, he recently made an appearance on the latest season of The Kardashians, when Kim and Khloe paid him a visit to learn more about his anti-aging agenda — which costs him roughly $2m a year.
From ingesting over 100 supplements a day to having his muscles contracted by a high-frequency electromagnetic stimulator, Bryan goes above and beyond to slow down his biological age.
But Bryan isn’t saying that everyone needs to have a fully equipped medical clinic in their home to pursue longevity. What he is saying, is that people should use the information that he’s procured and create something that fits into their lives and financial circumstances. And if you’re wondering how to go about doing that, you’re not alone.
I’ve been questioning whether these ultra-expensive treatments can really be refigured to become more accessible, and spoke to some experts across the industry to find out how we can transform without the tech.
Is there a way to biohack our bodies without spending thousands?
“Biohacking can sound super elite these days, but it really doesn’t have to be,” says Nikita Manduca, studio director of biohacking and fitness centre Repose Space. “It’s more about consistency and tuning into your body than expensive gadgets.”
There are a few fundamental practises that are completely free — improving your sleep, exercising, grounding (walking barefoot on grass) and eating a healthy diet are a few that come to mind. But can they really make a difference in the same way that ultra-expensive technological treatments can?
I find it doubtful, but Dr Tamsin Lewis — founder of medically led wellness service Wellgevity — thinks that the fixation on expensive devices and extreme regimes has become overly dogmatised in the industry. Instead, she advocates ‘bio-harmony’ over ‘biohacking’.
“By prioritising muscle strength, mindful nutrition, restorative sleep and deep social connections, individuals can achieve a balanced state of adaptability and resilience without the need for costly interventions,” she explains.
Leslie Kenny — co-founder of the Oxford Longevity Project — agrees. “While some very wealthy individuals are happy to spend thousands to monitor every aspect of their biology to stay young for as long as possible, there are healthy centenarians already achieving impressive longevity without investing these astronomical sums of money.”
How can I biohack for free?
Iman Hasan, founder of viral podcast Biohack-it, recommends starting with the fundamentals:
- Prioritise eating whole foods where you can.
- Prioritise deep, high-quality sleep, as this is your most potent (and free) performance enhancer.
- Add minerals and electrolytes to your water to optimise hydration.
- Regulate your nervous system daily through breathwork, which is simple, powerful and free. Whether you follow a guided practice or use an app, it’s one of the fastest ways to shift out of fight-or-flight and into parasympathetic calm.
- Don’t underestimate the power of natural light. Getting sunlight in your eyes within the first 30 minutes of waking helps to anchor your circadian rhythm and boost your energy.
She also notes the importance of strength training, particularly for women, in boosting bone density and hormone regulation. “We lose 3-5% of our muscle mass per decade,” she explains. “Lifting weights isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s long-term health insurance.”
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Cold-water therapy is another form of treatment that pops up time and time again on social media — and is one in particular that makes me shudder with dread.
Personally, I like my showers to reach similar temperatures to that of the surface of the sun, and the prospect of beginning or ending my day with a freezing cold plunge doesn’t tickle my fancy. But there’s been many studies into the benefits of cold-water exposure, and Dr Tamsin notes that, by simply turning the temperature of your shower cold for the last 60 seconds, you can trigger endorphin release, improve circulation and condition your body to handle sudden changes.
The experts assure me that these free practices can be incredibly effective in optimising our health and decreasing our biological age, but how can we be sure?
Are there any accessible ways that I can monitor my health?
While clinics are expensive, wearable technology is enabling biohacking to become a much more accessible tool. An Apple Watch costs on average around £400, but there are more affordable options on the market, including this FitBit at £59, which allows you to track your steps, heart rate and sleep for a fraction of the price.
Meanwhile, more and more health optimisation platforms are enabling people to keep an eye on their health biomarkers from the comfort of their homes. Brands like Numan offer biohacking test kits at £96, bringing greater affordability to the market. These tests can reveal key biomarkers across our health systems — including nutrition and heart health — to identify potential areas for improvement.
In terms of the future, Nikita believes that the biohacking industry will eventually become more accessible to the everyday individual, but she notes that access to clinics and treatments doesn’t necessitate achieving longevity.
“If you focus on optimising your resilience at home and balancing your exercise with recovery and emotional regulation, you’ll already be on your biohacking journey.”
