As I approach my 40s and middle age, I’ve been reflecting on where to from here and how best to move forward. I’ve become increasingly interested in the idea of longevity – what can we do not only to maintain good health now but also to ensure the best possible health in the years to come?
Lately, I’ve been reading Outlive by Dr Peter Attia, who specialises in longevity medicine. I’d highly recommend this book – it’s relevant to all of us and provides a deep dive into how healthcare can support a long and, most importantly, healthy life.
One of the most compelling concepts he discusses is healthspan. We’re all familiar with lifespan – the length of time we are alive – but healthspan may be an even more useful idea: the number of healthy, disease-free years within our lifespan. The term healthspan is thought to have been introduced by Kahn & Rowe (1987), who noted that while lifespan has significantly increased over the past century, the number of years we remain healthy has not improved at the same rate.
My goal is to maximise my healthspan – to stay physically and mentally active for as long as possible. Perhaps that means surfing with my grandkids in my 80s or simply maintaining the strength to open a jar or carry groceries (though by then, we may have robots to do that for us!).
What would healthspan mean for you?
André