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Since 1917, the monarch of the United Kingdom has sent out a letter to their subjects who have reached their 100th birthday. Those individuals then receive another card on their 105th birthday, and more birthday cards for every year after.
Of course, when this tradition started, there were so few centenarians that it probably didn’t take too long to administer. According to the BBC, King George V sent just 24 telegrams. Yet by 2014, the annual tally topped 7,500.
This is in large part because the average lifespan of a human being is increasing. According to Canada Life, the number of people in England and Wales aged 90 and above rose above half a million in 2022. There will be an estimated 200% increase in centenarians over the next 25 years, too.
However, while we might be achieving longer lifespans across the board, it’s worth considering your “health span” – in large part because although we may be living longer, we’re not necessarily living better.
Read on to find out the difference between lifespan and health span, how current trends show that we’re living less healthily than before, and what you can do to incorporate healthy habits into your routine to maximise the number of years you’re able to live in good health.
Your health span refers to the number of years you are living in good health
Historically, lifespan has been one of the most effective methods to assess improvements in human health.
Simply, lifespan is the length of time that people are alive. You might most often see this piece of data measured in the form of life expectancy from birth, which shows how long an average person could expect to live depending on when they were born.
The chart below shows UK life expectancies from birth between 1765 and 2020:
Source: Statista
Aside from obvious outliers such as the period post-first world war, this trend has very much been on the rise, and we’ve been living longer as time has gone on.
Meanwhile, your health span is the number of years that you are able to live in good health – that is, without pain or chronic conditions that reduce your standard of living.
The Office for National Statistics tracks this under the name “healthy life expectancy”, which in England between 2020 and 2022 (when data was last available) was revealed to be:
- 4 for males
- 7 for females.
As you can see, this is quite significantly lower than life expectancy, and data suggests that health spans are actually getting worse for those approaching and in retirement now.
Those reaching their 50s now are living in worse health than previous generations
You might imagine that healthy life expectancy would only rise over time, as knowledge of how to improve living standards increases. Yet, this is not what current data suggests.
According to the Guardian, baby boomers – those born between roughly 1946 to 1964 – and people in their 50s in England, the US, and Europe are more likely to have serious health problems than the previous generations.
This might seem surprising, especially when you consider how medical advancements have improved health outcomes drastically over the last half a century in particular.
Similarly, there is now a greater awareness of how lifestyle factors, such as alcohol consumption and smoking, can influence our health. In turn, you might assume that our health spans are continually getting better over time.
Instead, as the Guardian report shows, incidences of chronic disease rose across successive generations in all regions. In fact, compared to those born before and during the second world war, those age 50 and above were more likely to have:
- Cancer
- Lung disease
- Heart issues
- Type 2 diabetes
- High cholesterol
So, although we may be living longer than before, we might not be living healthier.
3 ways you may be able to protect your health span
Clearly, it’s important to value your health span just as much as your lifespan – not least because the longer you stay well and healthy, the more time you’ll have in retirement to achieve goals such as travelling or enjoying luxury purchases.
Of course, protecting your health span is a lifelong undertaking, and revolves around making positive, healthy choices as part of your routine for many years.
Even so, whatever age you are, there are steps you may be able to take to protect your wellbeing and improve the number of years you are able to live in good health. Below are just three ways you might be able to do this.
- Eat a balanced diet
It’s no secret that eating a balanced diet is important for good health. As you get older, it can be even more important to choose high-protein foods, and avoid those with added sugar, saturated fats, and high salt.
Similarly, it’s important to aim to eat predominantly whole foods and limit your intake of processed meals, despite the convenience they offer.
- Keep active
As with eating well, staying active is key to being healthy. As the NHS explains, exercise can reduce your risk of various major illnesses, from heart disease to stroke and diabetes, and can lower your risk of early death by as much as 30%.
In particular, you’re more likely to lose muscle as you get older, so strength training can become even more important.
Of course, remember to be realistic – you aren’t going to be able to do the same workout regime as you did when you were 30. Look for ways to modify the activities you like so that you’re able to stay active.
It’s also worth remembering that staying active doesn’t just mean going to the gym. Going for a walk in your local area or even an hour of gardening can count as “moderate intensity” activities that could benefit your health.
- Maintain your social life
Interestingly, continuing to be social and maintaining positive relationships has been associated with better health outcomes.
As the World Economic Forum explains, scientists at Harvard University discovered that our relationships with others can reduce stress, increase feelings of happiness, and ultimately contribute to a happier, healthier life.
So, it’s key to stay social and carefully nurture your relationships with friends and family throughout the whole of your life.
Get in touch
If you’d like support managing your wealth whatever your health span or lifespan, we can help at Cordiner Wealth.
Email hello@cordinerwealth.co.uk or call 0113 262 1242 to get in touch with us today.
Please note
This article is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.
