Healthspan vs lifespan: what's the difference?
Lifespan is how long you live; healthspan is how long you live in good health — free of chronic disease and disability, still able to do what you want. The goal of modern longevity thinking (as in Peter Attia's Outlive) isn't just adding years to life, but adding life to years: extending healthspan so the last decades aren't spent in decline.
Why healthspan is the better target
Two people can share a lifespan but have very different healthspans — one active and independent to the end, the other limited by disease for years. The levers for a longer healthspan are largely behavioural: cardiorespiratory fitness (VO₂max), strength and muscle mass, metabolic health, and sleep. These are trackable, and they respond to how you live.
How Vita helps you track healthspan
Vita turns the markers tied to healthy ageing — VO₂max, resting heart rate, HRV, sleep and activity — into a Body Age you can move over time, and lets you fold in lab-report markers for a fuller picture. It's a way to see whether your daily choices are actually extending the healthy part of your life.
FAQ
What's the difference between healthspan and lifespan?
Lifespan is total years lived; healthspan is the years lived in good health, without chronic disease or disability. Longevity science increasingly focuses on extending healthspan.
Can I improve my healthspan?
Yes — the biggest levers are aerobic fitness, strength and muscle mass, metabolic health, and sleep, all of which respond to consistent behaviour over time.
How does Vita relate to healthspan?
Vita tracks the fitness, heart-rate, sleep and clinical markers linked to healthy ageing and rolls them into a Body Age trend, so you can see the direction your healthspan is heading.