Healthspan vs. Lifespan

My dad’s mom, “Grams” to me, is my only grandparent still living, and she’s 98 years old. Until just three years ago, she lived alone in upstate New York in my dad’s childhood home, built nearly 70 years ago.

Grams was a single mom to three daughters and my dad, and she has always been extremely independent. After snowstorms, my dad would head over to plow her driveway, only to find her already outside shoveling it herself. What a champ she was, and still is! While her body has slowed with age, her mind remains very sharp.

Now she lives in North Carolina with my parents. She plays cards with us, loves sitting outside soaking up the sun, and always has a front-row seat for my nieces’ shows during halftime of Giants games or after family dinners. I will say, Grams has quite the sweet tooth and can polish off an entire bag of chocolates or jelly beans in one sitting. It’s pretty impressive, actually! Aside from that, though, she has maintained healthy habits for most of her life. Even today, when she wakes up from her naps, she takes laps with her walker around the downstairs to keep moving. Yup, she literally walks laps around her grandkids and great-grandkids while we sit on our phones and tablets.

Grams’ life is a perfect example of the difference between lifespan and healthspan.

Lifespan is how long you live. Healthspan is how long you are truly alive; with energy, independence, and vitality. Unfortunately, there’s a growing gap between the two. While the average American now lives more than 20 years longer than about a century ago, quality of life has continued to decline. Chronic diseases now account for about 74% of deaths each year, and top risk factors are physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption, and environmental factors like air pollution. That means that nearly 3 out of 4 people are dying each year from deaths linked to diseases that are largely preventable through lifestyle choices.

THAT is why I’m so passionate about holistic wellness and helping people build sustainable habits for longevity. Because it matters. You matter. The world needs your life—not just longer, but healthier, stronger, and thriving. Let’s fight those statistics together by empowering change for long-term wellness, Just1More life at a time!