Longstanding aging metrics have focused on how long people live and how long they live free of chronic disease, but both overlook a core\u00a0component\u00a0of daily well-being: the ability to move through the world with ease and confidence. Professor Li\u00a0Li\u00a0from\u00a0Georgia Southern University, USA,\u00a0formally\u00a0proposes a groundbreaking conception\u00a0“Movement Span”\u00a0as a new\u00a0and\u00a0independent dimension of aging, reshaping how we define, measure, and address age-related functional decline.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The article was made available online on June 02, 2026, and published\u00a0in\u00a0Volume 15 of\u00a0the\u00a0Journal of Sport and Health Science.\u00a0The opinion paper is the first formal proposal to position movement span as a standalone construct alongside life span and health span, with clear conceptual boundaries, measurable indicators, and actionable clinical and public health implications.\u00a0It\u00a0extends the discourse beyond longevity and disease status to everyday movement quality and adaptive capacity,\u00a0drawing on\u00a0geroscience, motor control research,\u00a0and clinical geriatrics\u00a0evidence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Movement span is defined as the duration of life during which an individual can move with confidence, responsiveness,\u00a0and adaptive control. It goes beyond basic walking ability to encompass real-time adjustment to unexpected changes, fluid transitions between movement patterns, and reliable performance under variable daily conditions-capacities central to autonomy, identity,\u00a0and unselfconscious social participation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The paper outlines a nested, partially overlapping relationship between the three constructs: Life span forms the outermost boundary of all aging trajectories;\u00a0health span sits within life span, representing years free of disabling disease;\u00a0movement span is nested within both, and typically begins declining earlier than diagnosable health conditions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A key clinical\u00a0observation\u00a0is that movement span narrows before health span collapses.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It typically begins to decline before overt organic pathology\u00a0emerges, manifesting as subtle changes such as slower reaction time, reduced balance recovery ability,\u00a0and a preference for predictable movement environments-making it an important early indicator of\u00a0subsequent\u00a0health risks. The author further notes that the significance of movement span extends far beyond predicting fall risk or mortality.\u00a0And\u00a0this construct also helps explain the paradox of avoidance:\u00a0As movement capacity gradually diminishes, individuals tend to self-restrict their behaviors and activity scope, which in turn accelerates the deterioration of physical function.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For movement span to be recognized as a meaningful clinical and public health construct, it must be reliably measurable. Gait speed, assessed over a standardized distance at both usual and maximal pace, has the strongest evidence base as a functional indicator of aging health. Beyond gait speed, a comprehensive movement span assessment should encompass balance under varying sensory conditions, reaction time to unexpected stimuli, and the capacity to coordinate movement transitions such as starting, stopping, turning,\u00a0and changing direction.\u00a0Professor Li also recommends the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, a compound task combining sitting-to-standing, 3-m walking, turning,\u00a0and\u00a0sitting back down. This task mirrors the transitional demands of everyday movement and is especially sensitive to\u00a0the adaptive\u00a0motor control.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Professor Li says the movement span framework fills a longstanding gap in aging research and clinical practice. “For decades\u00a0we’ve\u00a0progressed from asking ‘how long do people live?’ to ‘how long do they live well?’-but ‘well’ has mostly meant ‘without diagnosed disease,'” Prof. Li says. “What\u00a0we’re\u00a0missing is the everyday experience:\u00a0Can someone navigate a crowded room confidently? Recover from a stumble without thinking? Step off a curb automatically, without deliberate caution? That quality of movement shapes autonomy and identity every single day, and it starts fading long before any disease is diagnosed. By\u00a0establishing\u00a0movement span as a formal construct, we give clinicians and public health practitioners an earlier warning system. We can intervene before falls occur, before health span is compromised, while behavioral change still has the greatest impact. This\u00a0isn’t\u00a0just about avoiding\u00a0disability-it’s\u00a0about helping people stay fully present and active in their own lives.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
The movement span framework offers actionable insights for research, clinical practice, public policy,\u00a0and person-centered care:\u00a0It\u00a0advances mobility measurement, reframes clinical care around movement capacity, promotes activity-supportive policies, and fosters lifelong purposeful movement. It redefines successful aging\u00a0as\u00a0maintaining\u00a0meaningful mobility long-term, not just longer, healthier survival.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Journal of Sport and Health Science<\/a><\/p>\n Journal reference:<\/p>\n