Beyond Longevity: The True Goal of Aging Well
As a financial advisor, I’ve had countless conversations with clients about longevity. The topic often comes up when we talk about retirement planning, Social Security timing, or healthcare costs.
When I mention that a healthy 65-year-old today has a good chance of living into their 90s, the most common response is:
“I don’t want to live that long.”
When I ask why, the answers are strikingly similar. They’ve seen parents, grandparents, or neighbors live out their final years in poor health—bedridden, in pain, or battling multiple chronic conditions. They’re imagining those final years as nothing but decline. A burden.
And I get it. No one wants to simply exist for decades after their good years are gone.
But here’s the thing—those examples come from a time when the science of aging well was less understood, and lifestyle medicine wasn’t nearly as advanced as it is today.
The Missing Piece: Healthspan
Life expectancy is how long you live. Healthspan is how many of those years you spend in good health—free from serious disease, disability, or cognitive decline.
Most people, when they say they don’t want to live into their 90s, aren’t rejecting lifespan—they’re rejecting the idea of a short healthspan.
If we can extend healthspan, the conversation changes. Suddenly, the later decades aren’t something to dread—they’re something to look forward to.
A Tale of Two Paths
Picture two 90-year-olds.
Path One: Unhealthy Aging
- Uses a walker to get around the house
- Needs help with bathing, dressing, and eating
- Takes a dozen prescriptions to manage heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis
- Most days revolve around medical appointments and waiting for the next visit from a caregiver
Path Two: Healthy Aging
- Walks the dog every morning
- Still drives to lunch with friends and volunteers at the library
- Travels to see family without anxiety about mobility or stamina
- Plays with great grandkids regularly
- Has the freedom to decide how to spend each day, rather than letting health dictate the terms
Both people reached the same age. But in one scenario, life has been narrowed to survival. In the other, life remains wide open.
The Science Is Changing the Story
We now know more than ever about how to preserve function, mobility, and cognitive health deep into old age. There have been numerous long-term studies and across them all we see consistent patterns:
- Build and maintain strong relationships – People with strong social bonds live longer and report better health; one Harvard study found strong relationships were as protective as quitting smoking and added an average of 7–10 years of life expectancy.
- Avoid smoking – Never smokers in the NHS and HPFS lived roughly 7–10 years longer and spent significantly more of those years free from chronic disease.
- Be physically active every day – At least 30 minutes of moderate activity daily is linked to a 33% lower risk of heart disease (Framingham) and up to 4–7 additional years of life, much of it in good health.
- Eat a nutrient-rich diet – High-quality diets (rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats) added an average of 8–12 years of life expectancy in the NHS/HPFS, with most of those extra years being disease-free.
- Maintain a healthy weight – Staying in a healthy BMI range was associated with 6–8 additional years of life without major chronic disease (NHS/HPFS).
- Drink alcohol moderately, if at all – Light to moderate drinkers (up to 1 drink/day for women, 2 for men) in the NHS had a ~20–30% lower cardiovascular risk, but benefits vanished with heavy use.
- Stay mentally active and purposeful – Older adults with high mental engagement and a strong sense of purpose had a 30% lower risk of cognitive decline and lived 4–7 years longer in good health (Baltimore Longitudinal Study, HALE data).
A long healthspan is not just a matter of luck or good genetics—it’s the result of consistent, intentional choices. It requires purposeful action in how you move, eat, connect with others, manage stress, and engage your mind.
The earlier you start, the more powerful the effect—but even midlife changes can add years of healthy, independent living.
Healthspan is something you can build, but only if you treat it as a priority.
- Harvard Study of Adult Development – Relationships and longevity (1938–present).
- Whitehall Studies – Social determinants of health (1967–present).
- Nurses’ Health Study (1976–present) – Lifestyle factors and disease-free life expectancy.
- Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (1986–present) – Combined health habits and longevity.
- Framingham Heart Study (1948–present) – Physical activity and cardiovascular health.
- Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (1958–present) – Fitness, strength, and delayed disability.
- WHO Healthy Life Expectancy (HALE) – Global patterns in healthy lifespan.
Why This Matters for Planning
When we build a financial plan, we don’t just plan for your lifespan. We plan for the lifestyle you want during your healthspan. The better you protect your health, the more choices you’ll have—not just about how you spend your time, but also how you spend your money.
A long life in poor health can be financially and emotionally draining. A long life in good health can be the ultimate gift—more time for travel, hobbies, and people you love.