By Gene Galin
Carrboro, NC – Carrboro’s new Longevity Hub is redefining what it means to pursue health. More than just a gym, it embraces longevity — the science and practice of extending both lifespan and healthspan — through functional fitness, nutrition, natural health practices and holistic wellness strategies. Owner and health coach Tim Pedersen explains that this venture springs from his years in CrossFit and an extended exploration into biohacking, a movement dedicated to optimizing human biology. His Longevity Hub aims to serve everyone from competitive athletes to aging adults seeking sustainable health improvements without overreliance on pharmaceuticals.
I was an active member of Tim’s gym in northeast Chatham County. During my time there I was able to lose weight and get more fit. I was glad to hear Tim had opened a new facility and I was happy to have the opportunity to sit down for a conversation with Tim. We discussed the origins, philosophy, scientific backdrop and local implications of this emerging health trend.
From CrossFit Roots to a New Vision for Longevity
When fitness coach Tim Pedersen opened Longevity Hub, he brought with him a legacy rooted in the CrossFit movement. CrossFit, created by Greg Glassman, popularized high-intensity functional fitness and made strength and varied movement accessible to many. While its influence on general fitness is undeniable, Pedersen — like many trainers — saw limitations in how the brand image and corporate identity evolved over time, leading to mixed perceptions among prospective members. Some potential clients initially balked at the “CrossFit” label, associating it with intimidation or injury rather than functional health.
After closing his Northeast Chatham CrossFit gym and spending a year exploring fitness models nationwide, Tim began reimagining his approach. He retained what worked — strength training, movement quality and community — and incorporated new elements focused on long-term health optimization. This shift reflects a broader cultural move toward holistic health, where traditional exercise is combined with nutrition, stress management, recovery science, and preventative wellness strategies.
Instead of a conventional gym model, Longevity Hub presents longevity itself as the core value — helping people not just get fit temporarily, but stay healthier for longer.
What Longevity Means — Beyond Aging
At its core, longevity refers to maintaining physical and mental capacity throughout life, not merely increasing lifespan. This distinction underpins Longevity Hub’s philosophy: It’s not enough to live longer if those extra years are marked by chronic disease, pain or dependency. The Hub’s programming is designed to increase healthspan, the period of life spent in good health, free from disease and disability.
Tim intentionally chose longevity over buzzwords like “biohacking,” which some perceive as extreme or niche. While biohacking generally involves scientifically informed lifestyle interventions aimed at optimizing human performance, the term can carry connotations of experimentation or complexity. Longevity, on the other hand, resonates broadly as a universally understood goal — everyone wants to live well, regardless of age or fitness level.
This positioning reflects a strategic effort to make wellness accessible across generations. While many participants may be middle-aged or older, Longevity Hub actively welcomes youth, athletes and adults of all ages, emphasizing that healthy habits are beneficial long before later life. In fact, the sooner people adopt holistic health practices — including proper nutrition, strength training, mobility work, and stress management — the more they can prevent chronic conditions later on.
Biohacking: Science Meets Practical Wellness
Though the term biohacking isn’t used as the brand name, its principles influence the Hub’s approach. Biohacking involves using evidence-based practices to enhance biological systems. This can include optimizing sleep, strategic supplementation, metabolic monitoring, stress reduction techniques, and leveraging cutting-edge wellness tools.
Tim cites influences from prominent figures in the longevity space — such as Dr. Peter Attia — who advocate for preventive care and metabolic health. His philosophy rejects a purely reactive medical model, where symptoms are treated with pharmaceuticals, in favor of proactive strategies that preserve health before disease takes hold.
Nutrition: A Return to Whole Foods
One key area Tim Pedersen emphasizes is nutritional quality. He champions a shift away from processed, packaged foods — often laden with additives, excess salt, refined sugars, and controversial agricultural chemicals — toward whole, nutrient-dense meals.
Processed foods became ubiquitous in the mid-20th century as convenience culture took hold. Microwave meals, sugary cereals and engineered snacks promised ease, but emerging research suggests their long-term health impacts are concerning, contributing to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and inflammatory conditions.
At Longevity Hub, education about food isn’t theoretical — it’s practical. Members learn to read labels, understand common industrial food ingredients, and make choices that support metabolic health. Pedersen often references the idea that many harmful dietary exposures accumulate over decades, underscoring the importance of early and sustained dietary awareness.
He also promotes culinary simplicity: whole foods, familiar recipes inspired by home cooking, and the use of spices like turmeric and ginger, which have demonstrated anti-inflammatory benefits. These choices underscore that nutritional excellence doesn’t require gourmet expertise — just a commitment to quality ingredients and mindful preparation.
Supplements: Smart Support, Not Silver Bullets
In addition to whole foods, Tim incorporates strategic supplementation — not as replacements for healthy habits, but as adjuncts that fill nutritional gaps or support recovery and resilience.
Supplements can be valuable when used appropriately: omega-3 fatty acids for cardiovascular support, vitamin D for immune and skeletal health, probiotics for gut ecology, and targeted antioxidants to counter oxidative stress. Yet Pedersen stresses that supplements should follow foundational pillars like diet and exercise, not replace them.
This measured stance reflects a broader trend in longevity research: personalization. Nutritional needs vary by age, sex, lifestyle, and underlying health conditions. Tools such as blood biomarkers can help tailor supplementation — ensuring that individuals are supported without excess or unnecessary interventions.
Pedersen’s own supplement use and protocols derive from both clinical guidance and his personal experience, reinforcing the message that longevity strategies should be evidence-aligned and individualized.
Training for Function, Strength and Longevity
While nutrition and supplementation are critical, movement remains the cornerstone of long-term health. At Longevity Hub, training prioritizes functional strength, mobility, balance and resilience — attributes linked to quality of life across the lifespan.
Conventional gym culture often emphasizes aesthetics or isolated exercises. Longevity Hub frames physical activity through the lens of daily function and longevity: exercises that build strength for real-world tasks, maintain joint integrity, and support metabolic health. Resistance training, mobility flows, and fluid movement patterns are staples.
Research consistently shows that strength training correlates with lower risk of age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia), improved bone density, better metabolic control, and reduced mortality risk. By demystifying strength work and integrating it into approachable group sessions and individualized coaching, Longevity Hub invites participants of varying fitness levels to experience tangible benefits and build confidence.
Bridging Traditional Medicine and Preventive Wellness
A central theme in Tim’s philosophy is the critique of reactive medical systems that focus primarily on treating disease through pharmaceuticals once symptoms arise. Instead, Longevity Hub aligns with preventive health — identifying risk factors early, optimizing physiological systems before decline, and using lifestyle interventions to reduce dependence on medical interventions.
This perspective does not reject modern medicine — there are instances, such as emergency care or acute illness, where medical expertise and technology are indispensable — but it repositions wellness as a continuous process rather than a crisis response.
By educating members on biomarkers, metabolic health, stress adaptation, and lifestyle interventions, Longevity Hub helps individuals take informed control of their health trajectories. This model resonates particularly with adults approaching midlife who are acutely aware of age-related health risks and seek proactive strategies to mitigate them.
Tim Pedersen’s Longevity Hub in Carrboro represents a local embodiment of a broader, global shift toward holistic, preventive wellness. By integrating functional fitness, nutrition education, strategic supplementation, and community support, it offers a model for how individuals can take ownership of their health before chronic disease sets in.