The Truth About Healthspan - Why Your Daily Habits Matter More Than Genetics

Most people have heard of the term lifespan.  Meaning the number of years you are alive from birth to death.  It’s a defined number of years.  If you lived to be 86 years old, that is your lifespan.

If you are not familiar with healthspan, it’s the life in your years.  How you lived in good health free from aging-related disabilities and chronic disease.  Having the freedom to do what you want.

At Ageless Pursuit, we believe healthspan is a result of your wellness journey.  You have it within your control to live your life to the fullest, quality over quantity.  Like a financial planner investing money for your later years, let’s invest in your health for today and later years. 

A man enjoys a hearty breakfast while the clock in the foreground shows 8 a.m.

What is Lifespan?

Lifespan is easy to track because it is a number.  Let’s look at the average lifespan in humans starting in 1900 and the diseases we faced.

In the chart above there is a pattern of lifespan increase with the exception of COVID in 2020.  In the beginning of the 20^th century, we dramatically increased lifespan with new discoveries such as penicillin, antibiotics, vaccines, and improved hygiene.  The top causes of death were infectious diseases such as:

• Pneumonia and influenza

• Tuberculosis

• Diarrheal diseases

• Diphtheria

• Childbirth complications

As our lifespan began to improve, we created new diseases that decreased our healthspan.  The top causes of death transitioned from infectious diseases to chronic diseases:

• Heart disease

• Cancer

• Stroke

• Alzheimer’s disease

• Diabetes

The diseases of today are all caused by lifestyle choices.  We live in a metabolic dysfunctional world and our body is constantly under attack. 

• Diet

• Inactivity

• Stress

• Sleep deprivation

• Loneliness, solitude

Facts

I want to present a few data points that caught my attention while researching this topic.

• Data from American Heart Association suggests 79% of adults 60 and older have two or more chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

• A CDC study shows 53.8% of young adults between 18-34 had at least one chronic condition.  22.3% had more than one.

• A study from the Mayo Clinic suggests many Americans will spend 10-20% of their lives in poor health.  If you live to be 80 years old that could be as many as 16 years of your life with health challenges.  Meaning you stopped enjoying life at 64.

I picked these three references above because I wanted to show a correlation between the data. The data points above state that over half of younger adults suffer from at least one chronic illness at an early age.  If you start younger with a chronic illness, you could spend much more than 20% of your life in poorer health.

My Genes Made Me Do It

You will hear arguments about genetics and family history.  “My dad had heart disease, so will I.”   Recent studies from prestigious institutions such are Harvard Medical School, reveal the opposite.

• Researchers estimate that only about 5-10% of all chronic diseases are caused purely by inherited genetic defects.

• 90-95% are influenced by lifestyle and environmental factors.

• Factors like diet, physical activity, stress, sleep, toxins, and social environment.

• The World Health Organization and CDC report that the majority of non-communicable diseases like heart, diabetes, cancer and stroke are all preventable through lifestyle choices.

• Twin Studies show that identical twins sharing the same DNA can have very different outcomes depending on their habits and environments.

As you can see from the data, you are not always destined for a disease. 

Healthspan and What You Can Do

At Ageless Pursuit we believe in a common-sense approach to wellness.  Your wellness journey starts here to support your healthspan.  Here are a few examples of our science-backed, habit-based programs to help you succeed in your goals.

Sleep for health and mood

• Getting a good night’s sleep is paramount to starting your wellness journey.  Good sleep regulates your blood sugar, blood pressure, mental wellness, and reduces your risk for heart disease to name a few.

• We provide a sleep hygiene guide to help you prepare and maintain your sleep quality.

Nutrition as medicine

• Our 14 Day Sugar Detox and other programs help reduce inflammation, improved metabolic markers, and support better energy and recovery.

• Focus on whole foods, healthy fats, fiber, lean protein and minimal processed sugar can add healthy years to your life.

Movement for strength and flexibility

• We emphasize strength, mobility, balance (e.g., single-leg balance, non-dominant hand brushing, walking after dinner) so you remain functional and independent longer.

• Regular resistance and functional training help slow muscle loss, medically known as “sarcopenia”, helps improves glucose disposal, supports metabolic health.
  

Micro-habits for daily resilience

• Incorporating simple daily habits (balanced breathing, drinking water first thing in the morning, post-meal walk, non-dominant hand brushing) builds neurological resilience, metabolic flexibility, and stress-response regulation.

• These Small Steps add up over time reducing the load of chronic disease and maintain function into later years.

Holistic wellness & community

• Mindset, purpose, and connection for older adults with strong purpose and social bonds have better health outcomes.

• We build community, peer accountability, and a platform of education so you are not alone in the journey but supported and sustainable.

Tracking and measuring progress

• We encourage biomarker tracking (glucose, inflammation markers, strength tests, balance tests) so you see real data, track progress, and make adjustments as needed.

• Knowing your numbers help shift from being reactive “treating disease” to proactive “extending health spa”.

Start Now

Audit your current habits

• What percentage of my week is filled with movement that supports strength and balance?

• How many added sugars or processed foods am I consuming?

• Am I sleeping and recovering well?

• Do I have routine biomarker checks (fasting glucose, HbA1c, lipids, inflammation)?

Take a Small Step Daily

• Choose 2–3 Small Steps you can do daily for 30 days (10-minute post-meal walk, non-dominant hand brushing, balancing on one foot).

• Use our Ageless Pursuit habit tracker to log them, reflect weekly on how you feel, your energy, your movement.

Schedule quarterly check-ins and measure results

• Remeasure your strength by testing the daily tasks you chose (30-second sit-to-stand, single-leg balance) every 3 months.

• Track nutrition and metabolic markers if possible.

• Look back and ask yourself, “Am I moving better, sleeping better, feeling stronger?”  If the answer is yes, these are wins in health span.

Final Thoughts

As you can see from the data, if you do not prioritize your health, your final years will become more challenging.  At Ageless Pursuit our goal is to make it easy to start and follow your wellness journey leading to health span.

One final thought, “Prepare for your health, not your death.”

Stay Persistent & Consistent!