Purpose and Longevity: Why Meaning Protects Your Healthspan After 50

Healthspan isn’t just about how long you live. It’s about why you live.

In this episode of The Menopause Method, Cam Allen shares why purpose and belief are powerful longevity tools, just as important as food or exercise. Research shows that people with a strong sense of purpose live longer, recover faster, and are less likely to develop chronic disease.

You’ll hear Cam’s own story of leaving teaching, walking through divorce and empty nest, and finding renewal in faith and community at 42. You’ll also learn how purpose shows up in the four bodies (physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual) and simple, specific ways to reconnect with meaning in midlife.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• The research on purpose, faith, and healthspan
• Why belief and community protect longevity
• How purpose shows up through the 4 Bodies
• Practical ways to reconnect with your “why” in midlife
• Why health isn’t just about steps or protein. It's about meaning

👉 Comment below: What gives YOU a sense of purpose right now?
👉 Check the show notes for free guides (like the Bone Health Guide with a guided meditation) and links to my programs for midlife women.

Because healthspan isn’t just about years. It’s about why you wake up in the morning.

Free Home Gym Guide: https://www.camoyler.com/gym-equipment-guide
Free Menopause Sleep Guide: https://www.camoyler.com/pl/2148586038
Get the Menopause Mini Workouts: https://www.camoyler.com/meno-minis.

Chapters:
00:00 Purpose Enhances Health and Longevity
04:01 Lifestyle Determines Lifespan: Study
08:20 Midlife Clarity Through Body Awareness
11:45 Finding Purpose Beyond Checklists
13:26 Purposeful Living, Not Longevity

Transcript

0:00

Look, you can eat all the kale in the world, track every single workout, but still miss the biggest piece of longevity. Knowing why you're here. Welcome back to the Menopause Method. My name is Cam Allen and this is episode four of our Longevity and Health Span series. We've really been stretching the way we think about our health. It's not just exercise and it's not just nutrition. There's some actual downweavers that bring more living to our life. In episode one, we started with resistance training. We know that muscle is the armor of aging. Walking is wonderful. I took a three mile walk with my girlfriend this morning. But walking alone is not enough. Muscle is what keeps you strong and steady and independent. In episode two, we took a look at stress and how go, go, go living of our younger years is not sustainable nor enjoyable if we're honest and at this stage of life. We also talked about how we can reframe stress as feedback rather than failure, which actually can make you more resilient and enjoy your life more. In episode three, we explored connection and why loneliness is as dangerous as smoking and how relationships with others and we have to include ourselves truly is medicine. And today we're landing on one of the most powerful drivers of longevity. We're talking about purpose and belief. As I was getting ready for this episode, I was thinking about 2020. In 2020, when I first started posting online, cancel culture was rampant. If you said something out of line, you were just canceled. You were shadow banned on social media and people wouldn't see your content. And actually it kind of made me frozen. So for the last five years, it's been hard to like, truly show up online and they say exactly what I believe and how I think. Now I would say in the last year I've been leaning into it more. But you need to know I'm a woman of faith. I'm a patriot, I love our country. I believe in family, I believe in marriage. I believe in having kids and raising strong kids. So as a woman of faith, I'm going to record this episode a little bit scared because I am a Christian and the death of Charlie Kirk is giving me the courage to actually speak out and say this online to the world because last week shook me to the core. So here we go. We're going to record this scared. And also I'm confident that the right person is going to hear this, so you have the courage to show up and do it scared too. Okay, so what does research say about faith and purpose? And actually the research is Striking. There was a study called the Health and Retirement Study and they followed nearly 7,000 adults for nearly four years. And they found the people with the lowest sense of purpose, like, like why should I get up in the morning? Had a higher risk of dying early by 143%. That's shocking. And when they look specifically at heart disease with people that didn't have a purpose, their risk was even higher, but 166 increase. But it's not just one study. Again and again, data shows that people that have a purpose actually have better health. People with a clear sense of meaning live longer, recover faster and have fewer chronic illnesses. Now belief also plays a role into this. There was a study called the Danish Population Study. It also is called the Danish Twin Study, if you're checking it out. And what they did is they looked at thousands of twins in Denmark to figure out why some of them live longer than others. But here's the key takeaway in really simple language. Genetics only explain 20 to 25% of how long people lived. That's crazy. We call that epigenetics. It's your environment and your diet of social media and food and exercise and all lifestyle that actually determines it. And that's what this study revealed. So the other 75 to 80% came from lifestyle choices and their environment, things like their habits, their choices, their social ties and their belief systems. One factor that really stood out in this particular study was religious participation and belief. Out of the twin study, people that regularly attended faith based gatherings lived significantly longer than those who didn't. So in plain language, your lifespan is not written in stone by your genes, it's actually what you believe. How you live, who do you connect with, has a far bigger influence on your health span than what your DNA, what your parents, what you inherited from your parents. In fact, weekly attendance at faith services has been consistently linked to reductions in mortality. Now this isn't about telling you what to believe. I already told you what I believe. But it is about recognizing belief, purpose, sense of connection, belonging to something bigger than yourselves actually protects your health span. So let me talk about my life. Back in my 40s, my purpose felt really slippery. I left teaching in the Catholic school and at the time I thought I was just walking away from a job. But what I didn't expect is how much of my identity was tied to being a teacher, tied to being a Catholic school teacher in a small town. And not long after that I went through a divorce. So separation and divorce. And then my kids went to college. So there Was empty nests. And suddenly I was like, what now? Who am I without all these roles? What is my identity? And at 42, I started attending a new church. And that community carried me when I couldn't carry myself. So it's a really large church. You walk in, the music's loud, the lights are down, it's dark. And I used to sit in the balcony in the back row by myself. That's how I was. I showed up scared there, too. At age 42, I started attending this church. And 14 years later, that church has given me a place to heal, to breathe and remember who I was becoming. You know, it's the same church. I go to woman camp every year. In fact, we're packing and leaving this Friday. And every time I'm there, I'm surrounded by women. The music is amazing. We have campfires, laughter, we share stories. And I feel a deep sense of purpose to rise back up in me. Women supporting women in nature with Jesus music. It's perfect in my opinion. Now, it's not because I sat down and figured out on paper, but I showed up in a place where I could find purpose again, where I could find myself again. And that's the truth about purpose. It's not always about chasing some grand calling. Sometimes it's about showing up in the environment, and that feeds your soul. That lets your purpose reveal itself piece by piece. So let's take a look at this through the four body lens, which I love talking about. This is how purpose shows up through our four bodies and why it helps our health span. So in the physical body, like our physical body, people with a strong sense of purpose recover faster from surgery. Amazing. They heal more completely and they live longer. Think about it. When you know you've got grandkids to chase or a community that counts on you, your body has a reason to recover. Purpose literally gives your biology something to aim for. Okay, what about your emotional body? Midlife can feel like chaos. I just told you about divorce, empty nest, career change, ag, parents, all of that, right? Purpose steadies you in that swirl of midlife belief, provides hope when everything else feels uncertain. For me, being rooted in my church meant I had a place to cry, laugh, lean on someone. I didn't feel alone. That steadiness is emotional medicine. Okay, what about your mental body? We know that midlife is full of fog. And when you're foggy and exhausted, it's really easy to ask, what's the point? Like I asked that many times throughout my 40s. But purpose clears that fog up it helps you decide what you can say yes to and most importantly, what you can say no to. We've talked about this in the past, but your body will tell you. When you tune into your body, it's like this big barometer of truth. If you're in a situation and you feel energized and alive, that is a yes. But if you walk away and you're exhausted and you want to go eat a bag of chips and take a nap, your body's saying no. That group or that situation is not for you. It's why you can walk away from overcommitting or fad diets. Because you know you your energy belongs to something bigger. And that leads to our spiritual body. Purpose and belief connect us to something beyond ourselves. For some, it's God. For me, it's God. For others, it might be Mother Nature, which God gave us. Maybe it's your community or some cause. It's what reminds you I matter. My life matters. And I'm part of something bigger, bigger story for me that shows up going to woman camp or Sunday services. It also shows up for me in Mother Nature. When I work, I work hard, and then I take a break and I go outside in my backyard. I love nature and I love animals, and I love watching my plants grow. But I also love the moon, the seasons, day and night. All of that reminds me that there's something bigger than just me. Those patterns remind me that my life has meaning beyond your to do list. So here's the gap I see. For many midlife women, health gets reduced to just your food and your workouts. How many grams of protein is that? How many steps did you take? Yes, I'm telling you, those things matter. I. I track those things. But the deeper driver, the thing that keeps you showing up when your plan completely falls apart is your purpose. And when you know your why, you want to keep going. When you believe that your life matters, you're not just extending your years, you're expanding the life inside of your years. And you may be wondering, like, where do I even start? So here are a few places to look. If you're like, I don't know what my purpose is, Follow what lights you up. Your body is a barometer of truth. If you feel excited and energized, that's a yes. So notice those small moments where you, like, lose track of time. Those are yeses for you. Look at what you've already walked through. Sometimes pain often becomes your purpose. My hysterectomy is an example. I'm here talking to you today because of what happened to me seven years ago. And my life took a U turn, and so I took a turn with it. And now here we are. Here's an idea. Revisit what you loved as a kid. There are many breadcrumbs there. Here's my new hobby. Raising monarchs. I bought some milkweed on a whim this spring, and lo and behold, I've had eight caterpillars. And now I'm very curious how to protect them to make sure they become monarchs. So that's what I've been learning about lately. Also notice what breaks your heart. What can't you ignore anymore. That would be animal shelters for me. Sometimes purpose isn't about clarity at all. It's about trying something on, maybe volunteering, trying a new group, starting a new rhythm. That's what I did 14 years ago at age 42. Sometimes it's just about showing up in that place that reminds you of who you are and letting your purpose grow out from there. So let me ask you, what would it be like if you stopped measuring your health by only your weight, only your steps and only your workouts, and instead started asking, what's my purpose for this season of life? Do you want to keep chasing those checklists alone, or do you want to live from a bigger place where your health choices are anchored in meaning and belief? And remember, your life is always speaking to you. The question is, are you listening? So here's your reflection for today. Ask yourself, what gives me a sense of meaning right now and how can I lean into that more in this season of life? Let that question guide you this week. Journal on it, pray on it. Take it with you as you take a walk. For me, I get the greatest downloads when I'm driving by myself or taking a shower. Those are the places I get my great downloads. Where do you get your great downloads? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below and tell me what gives you a sense of purpose. Right now, mine would have to be understanding the monarchs and why they're making it to the chrysalis, but not to the butterfly stage. I can't wait to hear what's on your list. Be sure to check the show notes because I've linked a whole bunch of free resources there. I'm here to support you. I just want to remind you that your health span isn't about how long you live. It's about actually why you live. Thanks for being here and I'll see you next week.