If You Want a Good Life Then Improve Your Healthspan

There is a direct correlation between your health and your quality of life.
As your health suffers in later years your quality of life diminishes. It is not how many years you have lived but rather how many of them were good. Poor health significantly impacts the enjoyment of your life. It is not about having a long life, but rather being able to enjoy your life.
Lifespan is the number of years someone lives from birth until death, while healthspan is the number of years someone is healthy without chronic and debilitating disease. Closing the gap between the two will result in a better lived experience.
Medicine has advanced greatly over recent years to help extend our lifespans but every person will have their own health trajectory. Increasing the number of years lived has little benefit if you are not mindful of the concept of your healthspan. Lengthening your healthspan starts with thinking about aging well holistically, meaning prioritizing physical health, mental health, and daily lifestyle factors all in one.
Expanding the period of life spent in good health is a worthwhile endeavour. Certain interventions need to be considered.
A recent Harvard study has identified 5 risk factors that have an impact on your mortality.
- Healthy diet – A balanced diet can support a healthy immune system and the repair of damaged cells. It provides the extra energy needed to cope with stressful events.
- Regular exercise – at least 30 minutes or more per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity.
- Healthy body weight – belly fat increases health issues.
- Avoid smoking.
- Drink alcohol in moderation.
Beyond the items listed above it is crucial to lower your stress levels, more specifically if you experience chronic stress. When you worry about the future your body goes into stress mode and responds in the same way as though you are experiencing a real-life danger in the moment. Hormones (adrenaline and cortisol) are released in your body that prepares you for a “flight-or-fight” response. Real and perceived stress have the same effect on your body. These hormones do not return to normal levels until the stress passes. If the stress does not pass, the nervous system continues to trigger physical reactions that can eventually lead to inflammation and damage to cells. It affects your physical health negatively.
Many retirees prioritise financial security for a long lifespan, sometimes at the expense of their healthspan. By reallocating some of our resources towards activities that improve our physical and mental well-being, we not only enhance our quality of life but potentially extend our healthspan, making those retirement years not just longer, but richer and more fulfilling.
Having a long healthspan is the key to having a life well lived.
The above article was written and adapted by Marius Kilian.
Source
*”Overcoming Frugality in Retirement: The Path to Rich Experiences and Memories”, Dan Haylett, humansvsretirement.com, April 2024
*”Five Healthy Lifestyle Habits”, Harvard.edu, April 2018
*”Discover the 5 Healthy Habits That Can Improve Your Healthspan”, illumed, Linkedin.com/pulse, May 2023