Healthy ageing tips: know your baseline

The healthy ageing tips with the most evidence are plain ones. Move most days, build strength, sleep well, drink less and stay connected. Then write down where you stand today, so you can see what changes over the years. Nobody can promise to slow ageing. But the habits you keep in your 30s, 40s and 50s shape how well you feel later on.

Key points

• Australians born in 2024 can expect to spend 86% to 88% of their lives in full health. The years lived with illness are growing too (AIHW, 2024).
• Over one third (36%) of Australia’s disease burden in 2024 was linked to risk factors people can change.
• Australia’s movement guidelines ask adults for 30 minutes of activity on most days. They add strength work on 2 or more days and balance work on 3 or more.
• A baseline is your starting point: a few numbers and notes you can compare against later.

What does healthy ageing mean?

Healthy ageing means staying well, strong and independent for as many years as you can. It’s about how you live, more than how long. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) puts numbers on this. A boy born in 2024 can expect 71.7 years in full health out of 81.6. For a girl, it’s 73.8 years out of 85.5.

That gap matters. Life expectancy has risen since 2003. But the AIHW found the share of life spent in full health hasn’t changed. So more of us are living longer with a health condition. Healthy ageing is the work of keeping that stretch as short as possible.

Why start healthy ageing habits in your 30s and 40s?

For many people, risk factors start to build quietly in their 30s and 40s. From age 45, musculoskeletal conditions, heart disease and cancer make up more of the health burden, the AIHW reports. In 2024, the biggest risk factors were overweight (8.3%) and tobacco use (7.6%). Diet (4.8%), high blood pressure (4.4%) and high blood glucose (4.2%) came next.

Most of those can be measured long before they cause a problem. High blood pressure, for example, doesn’t usually have symptoms, so regular checks matter. Starting early gives you more years of data and more time to adjust.

What is a health baseline?

A health baseline is a snapshot of your health today that you can compare against later. One reading tells you little on its own. The value comes from the trend. If your blood pressure creeps up over 5 years, you’ll see it while it’s still easy to act on.

These are the numbers many people track, and you can note most of them yourself:

• Blood pressure. A home monitor, or a reading at your next health check, gives you a starting figure.
• Waist measurement. Healthdirect notes waist size may be a better guide than BMI alone for some health risks.
• Activity. Your average minutes a week, and how many days include strength work.
• Sleep. Your usual hours, and how rested you feel.
• Alcohol. Your honest weekly total in standard drinks.
• Family history. Conditions your parents or siblings have had, and at what age.

If your practitioner thinks blood tests would help, they’ll explain which ones and why. Our guide to what common blood markers measure covers that side. For the checks suggested at each age, see health checks for every stage of life.

Which healthy ageing habits have the strongest evidence?

The habits with the strongest backing are the ones in Australia’s own guidelines. The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing publishes 24-hour movement guidelines for adults. They put movement, sitting and sleep in one set of advice.

Habit	What the Australian guidance says
Activity	30 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous activity on most days
Strength	Muscle-strengthening activity on 2 or more days a week
Balance	Activities for mobility, balance and coordination on 3 or more days a week
Sitting	Break up long periods of sitting as often as you can
Sleep	7 to 9 hours of good quality sleep, with steady bed and wake times
Alcohol	Up to 10 standard drinks a week, and no more than 4 on any day (healthdirect)

The balance target is the one most people miss. Stairs, yoga, tai chi or standing on one leg while you brush your teeth all count. And some activities count twice: walking up stairs adds to both your activity and your balance minutes.

Why does muscle strength matter as you age?

Muscle strength matters because it keeps you moving on your own terms. Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle mass and function. A 2019 review in The Lancet links it to falls, frailty and declining function (Cruz-Jentoft and Sayer). The authors note it’s shaped by lifestyle across the whole life course, and it can show up in midlife.

We think strength is the most overlooked number on any baseline. Most people know their weight. Few know how many push-ups or bodyweight squats they can do. Write that number down today and test it again in 6 months.

Does social connection affect healthy ageing?

Social connection is part of healthy ageing. The AIHW links social isolation to poorer sleep, less activity, high blood pressure and poorer mental health. In 2024, people aged 35 to 44 had the highest rate of loneliness of any age group, at 17% (AIHW). Men were also more likely than women to be socially isolated (18% compared with 12%).

So a weekly run with a mate or a regular team sport does more than one job.

How do you spot hype about ageing?

Be wary of any product that promises to turn back the clock or add years to your life. The same goes for anything sold as a swap for the basics. Healthdirect says most people don’t need dietary supplements if they eat a balanced diet. It also warns that supplements can interact with other medicines. Tell your practitioner about anything you take.

A good test is to ask what the claim is based on. If the answer is one person’s story rather than a published study, keep your money.

When should you talk to a practitioner about healthy ageing?

Talk to a practitioner when you want help reading your numbers. It also helps when a few things bother you at once. Energy, sleep, recovery and weight often overlap. One conversation that covers all of them can save you piecing it together alone.

At Bio Chain Clinic, in Tingalpa in Brisbane’s east, care starts with a live consultation. Your practitioner listens first. Treatment is only discussed where clinically appropriate. They may suggest lifestyle changes, more tests, a referral or no treatment at all. You can read how a consultation works, browse consultations about healthy ageing or see our frequently asked questions.

Common questions about healthy ageing

What age should you start thinking about healthy ageing?

The earlier the better, but it’s never too late. AIHW data shows conditions like heart disease and cancer take up more of the health burden from 45. That makes your 30s and early 40s a useful time to record a baseline and build habits. If you’re older, the same guidelines apply, with extra attention on strength and balance.

Do you need blood tests to start healthy ageing?

Not always. Many useful baseline numbers, like blood pressure, waist size, sleep and activity, need no blood test at all. Your practitioner may suggest blood tests if your history or symptoms point that way. They’ll tell you what each one is for.

Is it too late to start strength training in your 50s?

No. Healthdirect’s strength training guide says adults should strength train at least 2 times a week. That includes people over 65. Start light, learn the movements and build up slowly. If you have a health condition, check with your practitioner first.

How much sleep do you need as you get older?

Most adults need about 7 to 9 hours a night, and that stays fairly steady through adult life. Healthdirect notes that sleep needs settle at around age 20. Older people often spend more time in bed but sleep more lightly. Steady bed and wake times help at any age.

How often should you update your baseline?

Once a year suits most people. Pick a date you’ll remember, like your birthday, and record the same numbers in the same way each time. If something shifts a lot between checks, that’s a good reason to book in sooner.

Your next step

Healthy ageing comes from steady habits and regular check-ins, more than any single product. Want help reading your numbers? Book consultation and bring everything you’d like to talk about.

Sources

• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Australian Burden of Disease Study 2024: Summary. Last updated 12 December 2024.
• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Social isolation and loneliness. Last updated 12 May 2026.
• Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Recommendations for adults (18 to 64 years). Last updated 3 June 2026.
• Healthdirect Australia. High blood pressure and how to lower it.
• Healthdirect Australia. Sleep.
• Healthdirect Australia. How alcohol affects your health.
• Healthdirect Australia. Dietary supplements.
• Healthdirect Australia. Strength training for beginners.
• Cruz-Jentoft AJ, Sayer AA. Sarcopenia. The Lancet. 2019;393(10191):2636 to 2646.