Start in Your 30s: The Key to Staying Fit and Sharp into Your 70s and Beyond

However, emerging research paints a more hopeful picture, suggesting that these age-related challenges are not set in stone. Experts now believe that adopting positive lifestyle habits as early as your 30s can dramatically influence how well you age, potentially enabling you to maintain good health well into your 90s. Eric Verdin, president and CEO of California’s Buck Institute for Research on Ageing, emphasizes that with optimized lifestyles, most people could live until 90 or 95 in good health.

Eric contrasts this with current trends, where many experience a decline in health after 65 or 70, leading to illness and the various indignities often associated with old age. While improvements can be made at any stage of life, Verdin and other researchers stress the unique importance of the 30s. This decade marks the onset of subtle changes in key physiological systems, muscle mass begins to wane, bone density reduces, and metabolic regulation shifts, all of which lay the groundwork for health in later decades. João Passos, a physiology professor at the Mayo Clinic’s Kogod Center on Ageing, highlights the 30s as a vital window to reinforce habits that build long-term resilience, such as exercise, balanced nutrition, and consistent sleep. A wealth of evidence supports the benefits of early lifestyle adjustments. Studies of “masters athletes”, those over 35 who continue to compete in sports such as running and cycling, show that sustained physical activity can extend not only lifespan but also healthspan, the years lived free of chronic illness. Falling and loss of mobility are significant risks after 70, often due to reduced joint flexibility and weakening lower limb muscles. Physical activities targeting these areas, including racquet sports like tennis and badminton, have been linked to longer life expectancy. Notably, a 2025 Japanese study found that older adults who cycle regularly are less likely to require long-term care or experience premature death. Beyond the physical, good sleep hygiene established early can help maintain cognitive function and overall vitality. Taken together, these insights underline the profound impact of small but consistent lifestyle choices in your 30s that can ripple through the decades to promote independence and well-being well into old age.