Or are you just taking longer to die?
Lately, I’ve been thinking about how I want to age.
Most people talk about age in numbers. “I want to live to 100!” they say.
Not me. For me, it’s all about quality of life.
I’ve known too many people who lived for years with little to no quality. It’s heartbreaking. A slow, futile fight for survival, not living. Just existing.
I keep coming back to this quote: “It’s not how many days in your life, it’s how much life in your days.”
That says it all.
The healthspan–lifespan gap
In medical terms, there’s something called the healthspan–lifespan gap — the difference between how long we live, and how long we live well. According to the World Health Organization, the global average gap is now 9.6 years (for women, it’s 2.5 years higher than for men).
Yes, we’re living longer. But not necessarily better.
Advances in medicine have extended our lives — but mostly by treating disease, not preventing it. That means more of us are spending our final years battling illness, pain, and disability.
There’s a big difference between a long life and a good one.
Of course, I can’t undo the effects of 40 years of smoking, my osteoarthritis, or living with ADHD. But I can manage these conditions — and do what I can to stack the odds in favour of a healthier future.
In the past six months, I’ve seen a Cardiologist, an ENT Specialist, and a Spinal Surgeon. I’ve had X-rays, ultrasounds, MRIs — all part of identifying the wear and tear and addressing it now.
My mission?
To shrink the unhealthy window.
To protect the good years.
To live well, not just long.
Because if there’s one thing I know for sure:
I don’t want to live a long, unhealthy life.
