Why Longevity Matters – And Why It’s About More Than Living Longer
Why Longevity Matters – And Why It’s About More Than Living Longer
Longevity is having a moment. From podcasts and books to gym conversations and health apps, everyone seems to be talking about how to live longer.
At Back to Back, when we talk about longevity, we mean something much more meaningful than simply adding years to your life. We’re talking about adding life to the years that you have. Healthspan rather than Lifespan. We don't care about living until we are 100, the years you have need to be the best they can be. Helping you stay strong, capable and doing the things you love, for as long as possible.
We all know people who find walking or going up the stairs a challenge. Often just getting off the loo can be hard, let along picking something off the floor that you have dropped. It should NOT be. Stats suggest that up to 50% of people over 70 live with pain most days!
A great question we often ask is 'What do you want to be able to do in the last decade of your life'? Go walking or hiking, lifting the odd suitcase or looking after grandchildren. Just be able to comfortably garden for a bit??
Being independent is about the ability to look after yourself.
Most people don’t realise this until something goes wrong. An ache that won’t settle. Strength that quietly slips away. A fall that knocks confidence. A period of stress or illness that suddenly highlights just how vulnerable the body can feel. Longevity is about getting ahead of those moments, not reacting to them.
The science is clear, if you are over 60 year old and you fall and break your hip, up to 30% of those people die within a year and of those that do survive, 50% NEVER get back to where they were.
If longevity had a hierarchy, strength sits up near the top. Stretching is mentioned somewhere, but nowhere near the top... it has more of a supporting role, yet in day to day life we put so much onus on stretching.
Cardiorespiratory (CV) fitness comes first because large studies show that low VO₂max is one of the strongest single predictors of all‑cause mortality, with bigger risk differences between low and high fitness than for most other modifiable factors. Muscular strength is also a powerful predictor, but the effect size is generally smaller than that seen with cardiorespiratory fitness, which is why strength is best viewed as the second key metric rather than the primary one.
Have a read of this link on 'Why Longevity'
The Body as a “Strength Bank”
We often describe longevity as similar to financial planning. You wouldn’t wait until retirement to start thinking about your pension. In the same way, you shouldn’t wait until pain, weakness or loss of mobility appear before investing in your physical health.
Your muscles, bones, balance and cardiovascular fitness are your strength bank—and the deposits you make today massively influence your quality of life later on. The earlier you start building it, the more resilience you have when challenges inevitably come.
Why Longevity Matters Now
Modern life makes it surprisingly easy to lose physical capacity without noticing. We sit more, move less and spend far less time doing the kind of varied, functional activity that keeps the body robust. Research shows that:
Grip strength is one of the strongest predictors of healthy ageing.
Balance declines much earlier than people realise—often from our 40s.
Muscle mass naturally drops 1%–3% per year after age 35 unless we actively maintain it.
Low activity levels significantly increase the risk of chronic pain, frailty and falls in later life.
But here’s the good news: these trends are not fixed. They are modifiable. And improvement is possible at any age.
Small Changes, Big Impact
Longevity isn’t about extreme diets or chasing the latest trend. It’s about consistent, achievable habits:
Moving more throughout the day
Building strength safely and progressively
Challenging balance regularly
Improving sleep and managing stress
Maintaining joint mobility
Understanding and working with your body, not against it
This is where osteopathy plays a vital role. Many people want to build strength and resilience but feel limited by pain, stiffness or fear of making things worse. Our role is to educate you, help you move better, recover faster and build the confidence to do the things that keep you well.
Proactive, Not Reactive
Most people come to us when something hurts. Longevity turns that approach on its head. It asks:
How can I stay strong enough that future injuries are less likely? How can I build a body that supports the life I want to live?
Thinking this way doesn’t just improve lifespan—it improves healthspan, the number of years you can live fully, independently and joyfully.
The Takeaway
Longevity isn’t reserved for athletes or biohackers. It’s for anyone who wants to stay active, keep up with children or grandchildren, walk without fear, travel freely and feel in control of their health. The actions you take now—no matter your age—have a profound impact on your future.
And you don’t have to do it alone.
At Back to Back, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.