Healthspan

Healthspan is the portion of life lived in good health and function, as opposed to lifespan, which is simply how long you live. The goal of much longevity thinking is to extend healthspan so it more closely matches lifespan.

It matters because adding years of frailty and disease is a poor prize; compressing illness into as short a period as possible at the end of life is the more meaningful aim. Fitness, muscle, metabolic health and avoiding smoking are among its strongest levers.

In practice, the habits that extend healthspan — regular exercise, strength, good sleep, a sensible diet and not smoking — overlap heavily with those that extend lifespan.