Healthspan White Paper: The Data-Driven Path to Longevity

Healthspan pairs 24/7 WHOOP data with decades of longevity science to show how today's choices shape your future health. This guide explores what healthspan means, why it matters more than lifespan alone, and how WHOOP measures and helps you improve it through two breakthrough metrics: WHOOP Age and Pace of Aging. If you want the deep dive — from the math behind the algorithms to early findings on WHOOP Age and key health metrics — grab the white paper below.

Head here to read the Healthspan white paper.

What is healthspan

Healthspan is the number of years you live in good health, free from chronic disease and disability. Unlike lifespan, which measures total years lived, healthspan measures the quality of those years.

Healthspan vs lifespan: Understanding the difference

The conversation around longevity is evolving beyond just living longer:

• Lifespan: Total years from birth to death
• Healthspan: Years lived in good health without chronic disease
• Goal: Make your healthspan and lifespan as close in length as possible

Prioritizing healthspan means focusing on habits that prevent disease and preserve function.

Why healthspan matters for your future

Focusing on your healthspan is about investing in your future self. Key benefits include:

• Performance: Maintain energy for personal and professional goals
• Longevity: More years of mental clarity and physical strength
• Connection: Stay active with family and friends longer
• Control: Proactive approach to reduce risk and prevent decline

How WHOOP measures healthspan

WHOOP makes healthspan a metric you can measure and improve through two key insights:

• WHOOP Age: Your physiological age based on daily habits
• Pace of Aging: How quickly your WHOOP Age is changing

These metrics analyze nine inputs across sleep, activity, and fitness to show how your behaviors shape long-term health.

Executive summary

WHOOP has launched a groundbreaking feature designed to translate your daily choices into long-term health insights. Healthspan introduces two powerful metrics — WHOOP Age and Pace of Aging — to help members understand how behaviors like sleep, exercise, and recovery influence their risk of chronic disease and mortality.

• Two demystifying metrics: WHOOP Age translates six months of your sleep, activity, and fitness data into a proxy for your physiological age, while Pace of Aging acts like a speedometer that updates every week to tell you the rate at which your WHOOP age is changing
• Nine science-backed contributors: Sleep duration, sleep consistency, steps, heart rate zones, strength activity, VO₂ Max, resting heart rate, and lean body mass that add or subtract "years" to your WHOOP age
• Evidence-based thresholds: Based on health optimization research, not population averages
• All-cause mortality foundation: Algorithm maps every contributor to published hazard-ratios for all-cause mortality, then corrects for overlaps so no single habit is double-counted
• Validated and actionable: Correlates with perceived health status and presence of chronic conditions

What the white paper includes

• Foreword by Dr. Eric Verdin, Buck Institute CEO
• Author roster & acknowledgements
• Introduction: why healthspan matters
• Scientific framework: from Gompertz' Law to effective age
• Feature deep-dive: WHOOP Age & Pace of Aging
• Contributor guide: the nine metrics and their targets
• Early insights and normative values
• Strengths, limitations, and future directions

Read the white paper and start exploring the science behind Healthspan.

How to improve your healthspan with data

Improving your healthspan starts with small, consistent changes:

• Identify opportunities: See which of the nine contributors needs improvement
• Focus your efforts: Target sleep consistency, steps, or heart rate zones
• Track progress: Directly influence your Pace of Aging over time
• Get coached: Receive personalized recommendations and progress tracking

Start optimizing your healthspan today

Understanding your healthspan is the first step toward improving it. WHOOP provides the data, insights, and coaching to help you make choices that extend your prime and enhance your quality of life for years to come. Unlock this first-of-its-kind feature and take control of your long-term health. Join WHOOP

Frequently asked questions about healthspan

How accurate is WHOOP Age compared to other biological age tests?

WHOOP Age reflects ongoing lifestyle behaviors linked to mortality research. This makes it a dynamic, actionable measure of your health trajectory.

How often does my Healthspan data update?

Your Pace of Aging updates weekly, providing a responsive look at your recent behaviors. Your WHOOP Age is a longer-term metric that updates more gradually, reflecting sustained changes in your sleep, activity, and fitness over time.

What WHOOP membership do I need for Healthspan features?

The Healthspan feature, including WHOOP Age and Pace of Aging, is available to all WHOOP Peak and WHOOP Life members.

Can I improve my WHOOP Age if I have chronic health conditions?

Yes. Consistent positive lifestyle choices can improve your Pace of Aging regardless of baseline health status.

How does Healthspan integrate with lab testing and biomarkers?

Healthspan works alongside WHOOP Advanced Labs to connect your clinical biomarker data with daily habits for a complete health picture.

Healthspan: This feature is not available for users under the age of 18. This feature is for wellness purposes only and not for medical use.