A growing number of Americans are working well into their 80s, often by choice.

I see this in my own life.

My friend Marji is 82. She’s still working as a realtor and raising premium Arabian horses on her property. Another friend, David, is 84 and actively serves on several business and community boards.

They’re not slowing down, but instead, they’re engaged, active, and enjoying life.

Alternatively, my neighbor is 80 and takes 35 pills a day. That is not a typo. She uses a walker inside the house because her balance is poor. She claims she knows what she should eat and how she should exercise, but she doesn’t do either one.

My neighbor’s energy is a far cry from my friends who have both the energy and desire to work inside and outside their homes.

Recent reporting analyzing U.S. Census data shows that about 4.2% of Americans age 80+ are still working, up from 3.0% in 2010, making this one of the fastest-growing workforce groups.

The goal isn’t that everyone should work into their 80s. It’s that they can, if they want to. And that comes down to health.

According to the National Institute on Aging, maintaining physical function, mobility, and metabolic health is key to staying independent and active later in life. The choices we make now about our health can impact us in the decades to come.

What Happens to Our Health as We Age

We can’t avoid aging, but we can support our bodies through it. Many common health challenges develop gradually over time, including:

Muscle loss (sarcopenia)
Muscle mass and strength naturally decline with age, beginning as early as our 30s (yikes!) and accelerating later in life
Bone loss
Bone density decreases over time, increasing fracture risk
Blood sugar dysregulation
Insulin resistance becomes more common with age
Digestive changes
Nutrient absorption—especially B12—often declines
Sleep disruption
Sleep becomes lighter and more fragmented, impacting recovery

These aren’t sudden changes but are patterns that have been built over decades. The great news is that we can start reversing these changes at any age.

3 Healthy Aging Habits to Support Longevity

If you’re wondering how to stay healthy as you age, start with three areas: muscles, sleep, and digestion.

1. Build Muscle and Support Metabolic Health

Maintaining muscle is one of the most important factors in longevity. Research shows that strength training can:

Maintain muscle mass
Improve mobility
Regulate blood sugar which can reduce your risk of chronic disease

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlights that strength training supports bone density, metabolic health, and independence as we age.

Start with:

Protein at each meal
Strength training 2–3x/week
Balanced meals with protein, fiber, and fats

Supplements are great, but you can’t rely on them alone for muscle and metabolic health.

2. Prioritize Sleep

Sleep is foundational for healthy aging, yet it’s one of the most common struggles I hear about. Most common is waking multiple times during the night and having trouble getting back to sleep. Poor sleep is linked to:

Blood sugar imbalance
Hormonal disruption
Cognitive decline

Regular physical activity improves sleep quality, helping people fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Sleep also plays an important role in muscle repair and overall recovery.

Following good sleep hygiene and committing to a consistent sleep schedule can radically benefit your health. Read more about sleep quality over quantity here.

3. Optimize Your Digestion for Better Nutrient Absorption

Healthy aging isn’t just about what you eat, but what your body digests and absorbs. As we age, our stomach acid may decline, which impacts the digestion of our food into nutrients. In addition, nutrient absorption in our small intestine may become less efficient. Both issues can impact our energy, immunity, and overall resilience.

Research shows that inadequate nutrition and protein intake can accelerate muscle loss and weakness.

Support your digestion by:

Eating slowly and chewing thoroughly
Prioritizing whole foods
Addressing digestive symptoms early

My favorite saying is “You can follow the best diet, but without good digestion and absorption, the benefits are limited.” Improving digestion is so good for your health!

Healthy Aging Is About Consistency

If you look at people who stay active and engaged later in life, a few things stand out.

First, they aren’t perfect. Life happens to them, too, and they get off track. But they don’t stay there much longer than necessary.

Second, people who age well have a consistent approach to diet and lifestyle with small, repeatable actions. For example, they find a few healthy meals that work for them and eat them regularly.

Third, they adjust when necessary. When Marji felt it was unsafe for her to keep riding horses, she started going to the gym. She still actively cares for them, and horses are a big part of her life, but she adjusted her exercise to something that is still challenging but safer.