When we talk about longevity, we often talk about how many years we might live.
But what if we asked a different question?
What do you want to still be able to do as you get older?
Do you want to travel comfortably? Carry your own luggage? Walk through a new city? Get down on the floor to play with your grandchildren? Carry your groceries? Keep gardening, hiking, dancing, golfing or playing pickleball?
Living longer is wonderful. But being able to enjoy those years is what really matters.
That’s why I like to think about functional longevity — maintaining the strength, balance, mobility, coordination and endurance that allow you to keep participating in the life you enjoy.
The CDC recommends that adults 65 and older include aerobic activity, muscle-strengthening activity and balance activities each week. Regular physical activity can help older adults maintain independence and improve quality of life.
So here’s a little longevity check-in.
This isn’t a medical test, and there is no passing or failing grade. Instead, use these questions to think about where you are today — and where you might want to improve.
Your Longevity Test
- Can you get down to the floor and back up?
Think about getting down to play with a child or grandchild, gardening, stretching or simply being able to get back up if you find yourself on the floor.
Can you get down and back up without needing another person to help you?
If this is difficult, don’t be discouraged. This is exactly the kind of functional movement you can work on.
- Can you stand on one leg?
Try standing near a countertop or sturdy chair for safety.
How comfortable do you feel balancing on one leg?
Balance naturally changes as we age, but that doesn’t mean we should stop challenging it. Balance is a skill that can be practiced.
And you don’t have to stand on one leg for a long time to benefit. Start where you are and gradually build your confidence.
- Can you carry your groceries?
Imagine carrying two grocery bags from the car into your house.
Can you carry them comfortably without having to make several trips?
This isn’t really about groceries.
It’s about grip strength, upper-body strength, core stability and the ability to carry things through everyday life.
Strength isn’t just about lifting weights at the gym. It’s about being strong enough for the life you want to live.
- Can you climb a flight of stairs?
Can you walk up a flight of stairs without stopping?
What about two flights?
Stairs require strength, balance, coordination and cardiovascular fitness. They’re also a good reminder that our bodies need to be prepared for everyday challenges — not just structured workouts.
You don’t need to love stairs.
But being capable of climbing them is a useful ability to maintain.
- Can you walk briskly for 20–30 minutes?
Could you walk through your neighborhood, around a park or through a museum without feeling like you need to sit down?
Walking is one of the simplest forms of cardiovascular exercise, and it absolutely counts.
But don’t get caught up only in the number of minutes.
The bigger question is:
Can your body comfortably take you where you want to go?
- Can you get up from a chair without using your hands?
Try a sturdy chair.
Can you stand up and sit back down under control without pushing off with your arms?
This simple movement requires leg and hip strength, balance and coordination.
And those are skills worth maintaining.
If you currently need your hands, that’s okay. It simply gives you something to work toward.
- Can you step sideways comfortably?
Most of our everyday movement happens forward and backward.
But life doesn’t.
We step sideways to get around furniture. We move sideways to get out of someone’s way. We catch ourselves when we lose our balance. We move around uneven surfaces.
Lateral movement challenges muscles and coordination in ways that walking straight ahead doesn’t.
Don’t train your body to move in only one direction.
- Can you carry a suitcase?
Picture yourself traveling.
Can you lift your suitcase, carry it across a room and maneuver it without help?
Maybe you’re thinking, “I can just ask someone to help me.”
And that’s true.
But there’s something empowering about knowing you can do it yourself if you need to.
That is what functional strength is about.
The goal isn’t to prove that you never need help. It’s to maintain as much independence and capability as possible.
- Can you reach overhead comfortably?
Can you put a dish away on a high shelf?
Reach into an overhead cabinet?
Hang something in your closet?
Put on a shirt or jacket without struggling?
These everyday movements require shoulder mobility, upper-body strength and coordination.
We don’t often think about overhead mobility until it becomes difficult.
Maintaining the ability to reach, lift and move your arms comfortably can make everyday life easier and help you remain independent.
- Can you still do the things you love?
This might be the most important question of all.
Can you:
- Travel with your spouse?
- Walk on the beach?
- Garden?
- Dance?
- Play with your grandchildren?
- Hike?
- Play golf or tennis?
- Get in and out of a kayak?
- Go shopping with a friend?
- Volunteer?
- Spend a day exploring a new city?
What matters to you?
That’s your real longevity test.
Your Score Isn’t the Point
Maybe you could do all of these things easily.
Maybe a few were challenging.
Maybe you realized there are things you used to be able to do that you don’t feel as confident doing anymore.
Don’t look at that as a failure.
Look at it as information.
Your body is giving you feedback.
And the good news is that you can do something with that information.
Strength can be trained.
Balance can be practiced.
Cardiovascular fitness can improve.
Mobility can be maintained and, in many cases, improved.
You don’t have to be an athlete to benefit. You simply need to start where you are.
What About You and Your Spouse?
If you’re married or partnered, I encourage you to take this little longevity check-in together.
Don’t turn it into a competition.
Instead, ask each other:
“What do we want to still be able to do together 10 or 20 years from now?”
Maybe it’s traveling.
Maybe it’s walking the beach.
Maybe it’s keeping up with grandchildren.
Maybe it’s staying in your own home.
Maybe it’s simply having the energy to get together with friends on a Friday night.
Then ask:
“What do we need to do now to help make that possible?”
That question can change the way you think about exercise.
You’re no longer exercising simply because someone told you that you should.
You’re training for the life you want to keep living.
Longevity Isn’t Just About Adding Years
I don’t want you to focus solely on how long you live.
I want you to think about how you want to live those years.
Because the goal isn’t simply to reach 80, 90 or 100.
The goal is to arrive there with as much strength, independence, energy, connection and capability as possible.
So take this longevity check-in again in six months.
Not to see whether you’ve “passed.”
But to see what has changed.
And remember:
Your future self is being built by what you practice today.
What do you want to still be able to do at 70? 80? 90?
Start there.
Ready to Work on Your Longevity?
I especially enjoy working with women and couples 60 and older who want to stay strong, active, independent and engaged in the life they love.
Whether you want to improve your strength and balance, have more energy, build healthier habits, or simply feel more confident about aging well, I’m here to help you create a plan that fits your life.
Sign up today for your free consultation, and let’s talk about your goals for the years ahead.
Click here to book your free consultation, or visit www.pausewellnesscompany.com to get started.
