We built what we needed most.
A first-of-its-kind health, wellness and lifestyle club in Hawthorn, informed by the science of longevity. Movement. Recovery. Expert care. All under one roof.
The reset button is always available. It’s never too late to start your health, fitness and wellbeing journey.
David James & Jan Owen
Co-Founders, Be Well Hawthorn
The Blue Zone Vision
A place that gives your body the opportunity to feel its best.
Blue Zones are the places on earth where people live the longest, feel the best, and stay connected to something greater than themselves. We’re building one right here in Melbourne.
A place where longevity isn’t left to chance, but cultivated through community, daily practices and an environment designed for optimal health and wellbeing.
Seems obvious when you put it that way. But here’s the thing, lucky people tend to stay lucky with their health as long as they keep showing up and investing in their wellbeing.
Our Story
We didn't set out to build a health studio. We set out to save ourselves.
Be Well was co-founded by husband and wife David James & Jan Owen.
David was overweight, highly stressed, sleep-deprived, sedentary, and a smoker.
So when the heart attack came, we were shocked and upset, but not surprised.
After David got out of hospital with a stent in his chest, we knew things had to change. Not tomorrow. Now.
Together, we delved into the extensive literature on the science of how to age well. We discovered ageing is not inevitable. In fact, just the opposite. You can age well if you know what and how to do it.
Ageing is not inevitable.
The best medicine available to human beings is our lifestyle. Use our lifestyles as our medicine, and profound health and wellbeing is the inevitable result. So we shook up our lifestyle, started getting active, and became much healthier.
We went to yoga here, Pilates there, gyms somewhere else, saunas and health retreats further afield. The problem was, it took so much time, effort and money.
We began to imagine a single destination where we were shown how to extend our healthspan and lifespan. A place with expertise and equipment, facilities and services, to enable us to gain and sustain excellent health and wellbeing.
We found several places just like that, residential lifestyle health retreats where we would go for a week or 10 days. Each time, we left feeling a lot better, with a renewed commitment to living well.
But gradually, over the following weeks, we found ourselves sliding back. Context, we learned, shapes behaviour.
We realised that we needed a health club focused on longevity and prevention. An everyday place, nearby, that provided the suite of self-care options we had come to value. With a community of like-minded people who also wanted to live younger, longer, better lives.
We couldn’t find it. So we created Be Well Hawthorn.
That’s Be Well.
David James & Jan Owen
Co-Founders, Be Well Hawthorn
"You can start getting lucky with your health right now."
When we see someone struggling with their health journey, feeling like everyone else got the good genes while they’re stuck with aches, fatigue and feeling older than their years, we always say the same thing.
Because you are the architect of your own vitality. If you believe your best years are behind you, then they probably are. If you believe your body can feel stronger, more energetic, more alive at 60 than it did at 40, then it can. First in mind, then in body.
Here’s what the research confirms: Scientists analysed the family trees of over 400 million people and found that the genetic heritability of human longevity is well below 10%.1
1 Ruby et al., “Estimates of the Heritability of Human Longevity Are Substantially Inflated due to Assortative Mating,” Genetics, November 2018.
The ‘lucky’ people aren’t lucky. They’re consistent. They show up. They tend their health like a garden, not controlling the weather, but preparing the soil, planting the seeds, and showing up to water what they’re growing. Every day.
We're not a gym. We're a health and longevity club, with a gym.
One membership. Everything your body needs to thrive for the next 20, 30, 40+ years?
How? With a holistic approach to longevity, through smart strength training that’s soft on your joints and meets you exactly where you’re at. Yoga and pilates for maintaining mobility, balance and mindfulness. Allied health professionals who understand your body and goals, and a full recovery suite to restore your body.
You don’t need to piece it together yourself; we’ve done it for you, with all you need is under one roof.
Smart Movement
Yoga and Pilates
Expert Care
Full Recovery Suite
Who Comes to Be Well
What Our Members Say
"Be Well is my 3rd place, after home and work. It is a daily habit I love. The connections with other people as well as the outstanding facilities have kept me focused on my health, and easily integrated in my busy life."
"I joined to prepare for a hip replacement. I no longer need a walking stick, I have goals. I go most days and come out refreshed and excited about the future. It has been life changing. Here's to walking the Camino!"
"Be Well is a boutique wellbeing retreat, a one stop shop, a community of like-minded people that creates a sense of community with staff and trainers who are professional and passionate about what they do."
"I've been a member of many gyms in my life but Be Well is a very different experience. I love the breadth of classes, access to cutting edge equipment and recovery tools, super friendly and skilled staff and lovely sense of community."
Our Promise to You
Not a quick fix. A lifelong commitment to your health.
We promise to provide a premium, evidence-based service that draws on the latest science and the wisdom of time-tested practices, giving you the tools, the community, and the environment to genuinely transform your lifestyle.
Not for 28 days. For life.
Because at Be Well, we don’t train for today. We train for the next decade. And the one after that.
Your future self is waiting.Â
Jan Owen & David James, Co-Founders, Be Well Hawthorn
See the space.
Feel the difference.
Book a private tour and we’ll walk you through the recovery suite, introduce you to the team, and find the option that fits your life. No obligation, no pressure.
6 Roche St, Hawthorn VIC 3122 · hello@bewell.com.au
The Team
Meet the Team
Our team is the heart of what we do. Expert, caring, and genuinely invested in your progress.
Patrick
Senior Physiotherapist
M. Physio, B.ExSc
Sabine
Physiotherapist
B.Sc. Physio, PNF Certified, M. Musculoskeletal and Sports Physio
Amanda
Therapeutic Massage
Megan
Remedial Massage
BNurs, DipRemMass
Divyani
Yoga Teacher
Geraldine
Yoga Teacher
Maddison
Personal Trainer and Pilates Instructor
Ming
Pilates Instructor
Shubhra
Pilates and Yoga
Eavie
Gina
Be Well Keeper
Kahlil
Be Well Keeper and IT Manager
Stephanie
Be Well Keeper
Our Partners
Brands we partner with
These brands share our belief that health is something you build, not stumble into. Each one approaches longevity in their own way, and each one is doing meaningful work. We’re proud to connect our members with them.
Your Data-Driven Health Plan
A science-backed health blueprint in 20 minutes, created by GP Dr. Gillian Singleton. Takes the guesswork out of where to start and what to prioritise.
Use code BeWell10 for an exclusive discount on add-ons.
Everything you need. 1 tsp a day.
Formulated by a doctor, Asklé gives you every vitamin, mineral, and herb your body needs in a single teaspoon. No handfuls of capsules. Just what you actually need, precisely dosed.
Use code BeWell10 for an exclusive member discount.
Swimwear Built for Real Women
UPF 50+ swimwear with coverage where you want it, in fully recycled sustainable fabrics. Confident dressing that works at the beach and the gym.
Use code BEWELLFRIENDS at checkout for your exclusive discount.