In Chapter 12 of Section 16 Secrets, I discuss longevity in retirement and the difference between chronological age and biological age.  I also discuss the difference between Lifespan and Healthspan.

 

Your chronological age is a clear indicator of your lifespan thus far, and everyone can calculate their chronological age. We tend to celebrate that calculation annually on our birthday.

 

Healthspan is the number of years spent in generally good health, without any chronic disease or disabilities typically associated with aging.

 

The age that will most influence our healthspan is our biological age. Biological age refers to how old a person seems or feels.

 

We have all been in situations where we have met someone and we could not believe how young (or old) they appeared, relative to their chronological age. I have met people at the gym who have asked me to “guess their age.” Some of those people are 80 years old (their chronological age), but they could easily pass for someone 65 (perhaps closer to their biological age).

 

It is not as easy to measure biological age. There is no standardized measurement like there is for chronological age. Biological age considers many lifestyle factors, such as diet, exercise, sleeping habits, stress levels, quality of personal relationships, and so forth.

 

Here’s a measurement of my biological age from the company TruDiagnostic: