August 7th is the last day to sign up for the Lifestyle Wellness and Longevity program for Rotarians based on the Harvard Medical School Executive Extension Lifestyle and Wellness Coaching Program. The program runs for seven Tuesday evenings, staring August 18th, from 7:00pm - 8:15pm on Zoom. No cost to you other than your time and effort. Sessions will be recorded in case you need to miss.
When most of us think about aging well, we picture our future selves still doing what matters: traveling, working on things we care about, being present for the people we love, getting outside, staying involved in our communities. Whether you are in your 20s building lifelong foundations or in your 60s (or older) refining what you already do, the science of healthspan applies to you now. That simple difference captures a crucial idea in longevity science: the gap between lifespan and healthspan.
If you are interested in joining the seven-week program, email: Brad Jenson <bradleyjenson1956@gmail.com>
Two clocks, two futures: Lifespan is straightforward. It’s the number of years between your birth and your death. Healthspan is more personal: it’s the stretch of life when you’re reasonably free of disabling disease, pain, and serious limitation.
Why the way you age is not fixed: It’s tempting to think that how you age is mostly written in your genes. Family history does contribute, but it’s not destiny. Many of the chronic illnesses that shorten healthspan are strongly impacted by lifestyle and environment. Inside your cells, aging is driven by a set of biological processes often called the hallmarks of aging. Research shows that healthier lifestyle patterns can influence many of these hallmarks.
Healthspan in everyday terms: Scientific vocabulary aside, what does extending healthspan actually look like in daily life?
What moves the needle most? The good news is that the same everyday behaviors your doctor has been recommending for years—sometimes to the point of sounding repetitive—are exactly the ones that support a longer healhspan.
A shift in mindset: Perhaps the most important change is mental. Instead of thinking of aging as an unstoppable slide, it may be more accurate—and far more useful—to see it as a dynamic process that you can influence every day.
