LONGEVITY
BY MILOU STAUB
Living longer is one thing. Living well for longer starts with the health decisions we make today.
Start by knowing your numbers. Blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose checks can help identify potential health risks, sometimes before obvious symptoms appear.
Then consider the appointments that are easy to postpone: an annual GP visit, dental check-up, eye test, and appropriate preventative screenings. Depending on your age and individual risk factors, these could include mammograms, pap smears, prostate health checks, and vaccinations. Your healthcare professional can advise which screenings are appropriate and how often you need them.
January gets all the attention when it comes to health. But November might be the smarter time to take stock. Before another year disappears into festive-season indulgence and ambitious New Year’ s resolutions, there is a more useful question to ask: what have you actually done for your health this year?
It’ s a question that sits at the heart of longevity. Increasingly, the conversation isn’ t simply about lifespan, or how long we live, but healthspan: how many of those years we spend in good health. And while longevity can conjure images of biohacking, supplements, wearable technology, and futuristic medical advances, many of its fundamentals are far more ordinary.
“ Closing out 2026 in good health isn’ t about a single big gesture,” says Medshield Medical Scheme.“ It’ s about ticking off the check-ups, screenings, and habits that quietly protect your future self.”
But longevity isn’ t built entirely in a consulting room. Daily habits do much of the work between appointments. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week, and remember that brisk walking counts. Prioritise sufficient sleep, eat a balanced diet, manage stress, and make sun protection part of your everyday routine.
Most importantly, don’ t let the pursuit of perfect health become the enemy of better health.
As Medshield puts it:“ The goal is momentum: small, repeatable actions that carry you into next year already ahead of your New Year’ s resolutions.”
That might mean walking more often, adding more vegetables to your plate, getting to bed earlier, or finally booking the health check you’ ve been postponing. November offers a natural moment to look back at 2026, identify what you’ ve neglected, and decide what deserves more attention in 2027.
Because longevity isn’ t simply about adding years to life. The real investment is in adding healthier life to those years. IB
60 INBOUND SA / NOVEMBER 2026