Martin Lewis has highlighted a “really important” life consideration that people say ‘everyone should be aware of’ when approaching retirement in a recent instalment of his BBC Sounds podcast.

The Money Saving Expert founder regularly publishes episodes of The Martin Lewis Podcast on BBC Radio 5 Live, featuring “extra tricks and inside information you won’t find anywhere else”.

In his latest episode, the financial expert explored retirement during his ‘Tell Us’ segment, discussing lessons people have discovered after finishing work that they’d now share with others beforehand. A particularly “important” insight Mr Lewis highlighted concerned maintaining good health and understanding the distinction between your ‘lifespan’ and ‘healthspan’, reports the Mirror.

Outlining the week’s ‘Tell Us’ topic, Mr Lewis said: “What had no one warned you about when you retired that you would now like to warn other people about? So what I was trying to get up from this is if you’re retired, what is your top tip that you would tell other people that you wish someone had told you and we have had some beautiful answers.”

Mr Lewis referenced a response submitted by listener Graham, who noted that lifespan and healthspan ‘are different things’. The financial expert said: “Quite right. This is what my wife specialises in, so I hear a lot about it in my house.”

Reading out the remainder of Graham’s statement, Mr Lewis said: “Enjoy your health span while you can and maintain your muscle mass. You want to be able to lift cabin bags into the overhead rack at 80, and not be out of breath walking up a flight of steps.”

Offering his own perspective on this, Mr Lewis said: “So, it’s cardio that’s important, but also weights are important, and squats, and being able to get out of a chair – all really important.”

Elaborating further on “lifespan versus health span”, which Mr Lewis describes as “interesting”, he added: “It’s the whole, ‘do you really want to live to 150’, is it actually what we want? That’s lifespan.

“Health span is about living as long as you can, when you have your health to be able to be both mentally and physically functional, and out there and doing things that you enjoy. And again, this is all from my wife, Lara Lewington, a health-tech specialist. Maximising our health spans and being healthy as long as possible is arguably more important than maximising our lifespans.”

Lifespan denotes the total number of years a person lives, whilst healthspan represents the period spent in robust health, without chronic conditions or declining capabilities. The crucial distinction lies between the quantity of years versus the quality of those years.

The objective of extending healthspan is to ensure that the years lived are healthy, rather than simply prolonging life. According to Heart.org, a 2022 study in Nature Medicine suggests even short bursts of physical activity – just a few bursts per day lasting a minute or two – may lower cancer and cardiovascular-related death risks.

How can you boost your ‘healthspan’?

To maintain good health during retirement, it’s essential to follow a well-rounded programme that preserves muscle strength and bone density, enhances cardiovascular fitness, and supports balance and flexibility to support independent living.

Specialists recommend combining aerobic activity, resistance training, and particularly mobility and balance-focused workouts, targeting approximately 150 minutes of moderate exercise weekly. According to UCLA Health, extending your healthspan requires maintaining consistent healthy practices.

This encompasses performing various forms of regular physical activity, such as resistance work and cardiovascular exercise, following a nutritious eating plan (such as the Mediterranean or DASH diet), securing seven to nine hours of quality rest, controlling stress levels, and nurturing meaningful social connections.

Key recommendations include avoiding harmful substances like tobacco, reducing alcohol consumption, and maintaining metabolic health.