As we age, most of us begin to care less about how long we live and more about how well we live.
We want to continue doing what we love while staying fit for the additional activities we plan to pursue in our retirement.
I find it helpful to differentiate between lifespan and healthspan.
Lifespan vs. Healthspan
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- Lifespan is the total number of years we live.
- Healthspan is the part of those years we’re well enough to enjoy life and do what matters to us.
Extending our healthspan – not just living longer, but living better – means taking actions today that help us protect and strengthen our present self AND our future self.
Why a healthspan goal matters
Setting a healthspan goal shifts our thinking.
It’s no longer just about avoiding disease; it’s about planning and preparing for a high-quality, enjoyable life – right up to the end.
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- It’s proactive. We don’t wait for problems to appear. We take ownership of our well-being.
- It benefits our future self. What we do now shapes the life we’ll have years from now.
- It benefits our present self. The choices we make today enhance our daily lives and contribute to our overall well-being – right now!
- It’s possible. While we can’t control everything, research shows we can influence how long we stay healthy.
Practical inspiration: Healthspan heroes
I have several senior role models, people I admire because they lead an active and engaging life in old age.
I am sure you, too, have seen inspiring examples: people in their late 70s, 80s or 90s who travel the world, learn new things every day, teach or mentor the young, run businesses or community projects, etc. – and they all thoroughly enjoy each day.
These people didn’t get there by chance. They made consistent choices to stay active, engaged, and connected. We can do the same!
Tip:
If you personally know a healthspan hero – go and ask them to teach you how they got where they are now.
Simple exercise to help you expand your healthspan
As soon as we shift our focus from just treating illness to actively building wellness – physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially – we can start to think about the healthspan goal we want to tackle first.
However, we must also consider the many areas that influence our healthspan, like movement, mindset, nutrition, sleep, stress management, social connection, spirituality, environment.
We need to understand how these areas relate to specific healthspan goals so we can start working on our ‘weak’ areas.
Here is a way to start, step by step:
Step 1 – Visualise your future self
Imagine you’re 90, mentally fit, physically able, and emotionally well.
What are you doing? What makes those years joyful and meaningful to you?
Step 2 – Choose your first healthspan goal.
Example:
I want to stay mentally sharp
Step 3 – Consider the areas that influence this goal.
Example:
a) Moving my body: Regular aerobic exercise supports my brain health. Walk, dance, cycle – whatever keeps me moving.
b) Investing time and energy into something that matters to me keeps my mind active: Volunteering, taking a class, working on a passion project, …
c) …
Step 4 – Choose just one action goal
Example: From now on, I’ll walk for at least 30 minutes each day.
Step 5 – If the action goal feels too big, start smaller
Break it down into something easily doable for you.
Example:
For the next 4 weeks, I will walk at least 10 minutes each day. I start today.
Extending our healthspan is a gradual process.
We don’t need to overhaul our lives overnight. Expanding healthspan is about steady, thoughtful choices.
A small step today builds the foundation we can rely on tomorrow.
So, start with ONE healthspan goal that is doable. Do it for a while. Then, when it has become a habit you can rely on, choose another healthspan goal and integrate the required behaviour/activity into your daily life. And so on.
Now it’s your turn!
Decide today to take care of your future self. (Your present self will benefit as well!)
What’s your (first) healthspan goal?