According to the United Nations, a “longevity revolution” is underway. By 2050, there will be an eightfold increase of centenarians - approximately 3.7 million people. And by 2080, those aged 65-years-old will outnumber children under 18 years. As people live longer lives, experts take to the SXSW London stages to discuss healthspans, joyspans and longevity raves.
During the session “How to have a healthspan not a lifespan” panelists spoke broadly on the habits and care required to promote healthspans. Dr Deepti Agarwal says, “resilience is a critical biomarker” that signals “how our body responds to stress.” In a world where people are constantly on the move, she believes there is a need for rest. “Recovery isn’t a reward, it is the intervention, when our body resets and recalibrates - it heals and becomes adaptable for your next challenge.” Fellow panelist Dr Tamsin Lewis, founder of Wellgevity echoes the sentiment, saying she is “a big fan of emotional health in longevity,” believing it is fundamental to “how we regulate ourselves” and ultimately determines “how well we age.” She also wants people to incorporate joy, saying, “We’ve talked a lot about healthspans, I like to lean into the concept of joyspans, which means spending time doing joyful activities for you.”
