A Facebook friend posted a link to a lifespan calculator a few weeks ago, and I couldn't wait to plug in the numbers and learn my fate. Developed by three professors at the University of Pennsylvania, the calculator starts with life tables and modifies the base chances to fit personal health habits. Answer the questions and the results predict how long you will live. I answered the questions and was delighted to learn that my number was 93. Great, I have a lot of years left. But, wait a minute. The calculator predicted how many years I have left not how many good years. The difference between a long life and a long healthy life is significant.

So, I started thinking about what I could learn from my genes. Relatives on my father's side stayed pretty healthy and independent throughout their relatively short lives. Relatives on my mother's side lived longer lives but were not very mentally healthy or independent in their later years. Based on genetics, my options seemed to be a relatively short healthy life or a longer unhealthy life. Neither option seemed too appealing.

WHAT WE KNOW

When it comes to living a longer, healthier life, I have an advantage my ancestors did not. And that is knowledge-knowledge about what factors contribute to healthy aging. Dan Buettner's research into blue zones, those parts of the world where people live the longest and report the highest levels of well-being, offer us guidance to enhance our own longevity and happiness. To a great extent, how long and how well we live is up to us. According to Danish Twin Studies less than 25% of how long the average person lives is dictated by genes.

Healthspan,is a new term that addresses the quality of life in whatever time we have. The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN has built one of the largest aging centers in the nation to improve understanding of how aging works and how to get in its way. Dr. James Kirkland of Mayo's Robert and Arlen Kogod Center on Aging sees the center's work as focusing on the difference between lifespan and healthspan.

Research demonstrates that there are specific actions we can take to improve our healthspan. Healthspan-promoting actions can be grouped into the following areas: WHAT WE CAN DO

It is never too late to start taking action to improve healthspan. Rate your level of satisfaction with each healthy aging area. Choose one rating for each topic.

	Very Satisfied	Satisfied	Dissatisfied	Very Dissatisfied
Exercise
Nutrition
Social Connection/Relationships
Life Purpose/Meaning
Financial

In what area(s) are you most satisfied?

In what area(s) are you least satisfied?

In what area(s) would you like to focus your efforts?

What is one thing you can do in the next week to get started?

Look for more information about these healthy aging areas in future issues of Fiddlehead.