Lifespan is how long you are ALIVE for. You know, heart beathing, lungs breathing, brain thinking.
Health span, is actually what you want to focus on increasing! Health span is how long you can walk around, tie your own shoes, brush your hair, go for a jog, etc. To put it simply, it’s how long you can stay independent in your facilities without needing to rely on others.
The goal of exercise, healthy eating and proper sleep is to align health span as close to your life span as possible! Want to learn how to optimize your health span? Here’s 10 examples of how to life longer, stronger and better well into the golden age.
#1. Prioritize Strength Training 2–3x/week
I know, coming from a personal trainer, I’m obviously going to tell you to work out. But all the science shows that working out (especially at least three times a week) has shown to:
- Improve muscle retention
- Decrease osteoporosis
- Decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety (which are common as we age)
- Make you feel better all around!
You’re also able to avoid injury and increase your body’s proprioception, all just by hitting the gym. Strong muscles protect joints, prevent falls, and make daily tasks easier. Focus on compound movements like squats, rows, and presses for a fully kicked on myofascial system.
#2. Walk Every Day
It doesn’t really matter when or where you walk, as long as you walk! Walking even 20–30 minutes daily keeps the heart, lungs, and legs strong. Bonus points for walking on varied terrain to challenge balance!
#3. Train Your Balance
You don’t have to learn how to ride a unicycle or do a handstand in order to train your balance. Increasing your proprioception (where your mind sees your body in space) can be done through functional fitness like walking lunges, step-ups, and uneven squats. If you are feeling more adventurous and wanting to learn a new skill, Tai Chi is one of the best known practices out there for gentle movement while still improving core strength and stability. Simple single-leg stands, heel-to-toe walking, or Tai Chi can dramatically reduce fall risk. Balance is like a skill — you lose it if you don’t use it.
#4. Stay Flexible & Mobile
Mobility is king when it comes to body longevity. Like one of my yoga friends said, “If you tend to gravitate towards strength training, you need to foam roll. If you tend to gravitate towards foam rolling, you need to strength train.”. Include yoga, or mobility drills to keep joints moving freely. Think “move every joint daily” — neck, shoulders, hips, knees, ankles.
#5. Lift, Carry, and Push Real-Life Things
Functional Fitness originally got its name because of its ability to improve your ability to do everyday items, everyday chores and tasks like laundry, gardening, mowing the lawn, carrying in groceries, etc. These functional movements associated with it, such as woodchops, farmers’ carries, halos, and one-sided lunges, greatly help recruit the full myofascial sling together for optimum strength and coordination.
#6. Make Social Movement a Habit
Join walking groups, dance classes, or community fitness sessions. Social connection boosts consistency and overall mental health. Though you may feel silly being a beginner at the salsa class, or maybe it’s your first time trying out Zumba, I guarantee you’ll have a lot more fun than you think and be able to meet a friend or two that can help expand your community.
#7. Play & Try New Activities
Novelty keeps the nervous system sharp. Trying new activities like Pickleball, swimming, hiking, or even VR games can keep your brain and body engaged. It is also a proven way to stave off the symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in older adults.
#8. Do Core & Posture Work
Core work is so important to making sure your balance is intact. Having a strong core means having good balance and reflexes to sudden falls or movements that could result in injury. Planks, bird dogs, and functional posture exercises help you stand tall and protect the spine. Plus, a strong posture = easier breathing and fewer aches.
#9. Recover Like It’s Your Job
Recovery is one of the hardest things that we tend to not do so well. Recovery means rest, getting enough sleep, eating correctly, and allowing our body to rest between workouts is paramount in making sure your health span extends as long as possible. A rested body functions better. Prioritize sleep, hydration, and recovery days. A rested body performs better and stays injury-free.
Also Read –> can ultra processed foods make you age quicker?
#10. Keep Learning How to Move
Take workshops or classes in movement skills — martial arts, ballroom dancing, or resistance training — to keep the brain-body connection sharp. Not only would you be learning a new skill, which helps with brain health, but your body will be firing its neural connections to help keep your nervous system and skeletal system strong.
Book a 30 minute No Sweat Intro at Untamed Fitness to start your own workout program!
