Lifespan vs. Playspan vs. Lifespan
Have you ever had one of those moments where you know a light bulb just went off?
During a lecture a few years ago, Neal Spruce, the founder of DotFIT, brought up this idea of “lifespan vs healthspan vs playspan”.
While familiar with the idea, I had never quite heard it articulated like this…
Lifespan: how long you live.
Healthspan: how long you’re healthy, functional, and disease-free.
Playspan: how long you’re physically and mentally able to do the things important to you.
One example he used…
“In an ideal situation, you would pull into the garage after a long bike ride, step off your bike and fall over dead at 95 years old. The goal should be to continue to do the things you want to do for as long as you live. In order to do this, you cannot stop. You must exercise until the day you die.”
I love the picture this paints!
Sure, losing 20 lbs is great, but that pales in comparison to the quality of life you gain by staying strong and active. What good is living to 90+ if the last 20 years you have to rely on others and can’t do the things you want to do?
I guess what I’m saying is to never give up. Even at times where you might not be accomplishing your short-term goals as quickly as you would like, don’t forget to see the bigger picture.
To me, the goal is to be able to “play” for as many years as possible. This could mean hiking with your kids, playing golf, riding a bike on vacation with your spouse, teaching your grandkids how to play baseball, traveling through Europe in your 70s, etc.
P.S- If you or someone you know is interested in expanding their “playspan”, find out how we can help here: Play for Longer!
P.P.S – There are circumstances we have no control over but having as much mobility and as much strength as possible are a blessing and worth working for daily.
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Natillie Brandenburg — ACE | FMS 1 & 2| B.A. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill