10 Health Metrics to Track for a Longer, Healthier Life

We all know someone who seems to age in reverse — their energy is contagious, their skin glows, and they keep up with activities most people half their age shy away from. On the flip side, we’ve also met people who feel older than they really are, weighed down by fatigue, aches, or chronic conditions.

What makes the difference? Often, there’s more than simply luck or genetics at play. These healthy and thriving individuals are likely making intentional lifestyle choices and focusing on prevention to get ahead of disease.

So how can you become the person who is vibrant, energetic, healthy, mobile, and inspired well into their 70s and 80s?

The key is to know exactly what lifestyle and medical choices you personally need to make based on your body’s signals and biochemistry.

This is where tracking comes in. By giving you valuable insight into your current and future state of health, biomarkers and health metrics can transform your aging trajectory.

Here are the top doctor-recommended health metrics you can track to help you stay proactive and ultimately feel your best in mind and body for as long as possible.

1. VO2 Max: Your Cardiovascular Fitness Level

VO2 max measures how efficiently your body uses oxygen during exercise and is one of the strongest indicators of longevity.

A higher VO2 max is associated with better heart health, improved endurance, and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Read this runner’s story to learn more.

How to improve it:

Depending on your current VO2 max and other associated metrics like metabolic flexibility, fat-burning efficiency, and more, there are different exercise recommendations to improve your cardiovascular fitness. For some it may be to increase Zone 2 cardio activity, for others it may be to increase HIIT (high intensity interval training) activity, and for others it may be to increase strength training activity.

Some wearables, like newer Apple Watches, can estimate VO2 max, but for the most accurate results and a full breakdown of personalized recommendations, you can try dedicated VO2 max testing.

2. Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)

Parallel to VO2 max, your resting metabolic rate (RMR) represents the number of calories your body burns at rest to maintain essential functions like breathing and circulation.

Tracking RMR with dedicated RMR tests can help you know how to optimize nutrition, weight management, and overall metabolic health.

How to improve it:

Factors like muscle mass, diet quality, and hormonal balance influence RMR, and usually, increasing lean muscle through strength training can help improve it. Dedicated RMR testing can give you personalized recommendations, which vary from person to person.

3. Heart Rate Variability (HRV)

HRV measures the variation in time between heartbeats and is a key marker of autonomic nervous system balance and resilience. Higher HRV is associated with better stress adaptation, cardiovascular health, and overall recovery.

Some wearables, like watches, bands, and rings, can measure your HRV, or a biofeedback test can give you a more detailed look at this metric.

How to improve it:

Practices like diaphragmatic breathing and meditation techniques can improve HRV, which is influenced by stress, anxiety, fear, anger, and other negative emotions.

Read more about the heart-mind connection and how to address it.

4. Blood Glucose and Insulin Sensitivity

Consistently high blood glucose and insulin resistance increase the risk of metabolic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular conditions. Over time, frequent glucose spikes can lead to increased inflammation, energy crashes, and even damage to blood vessels and organs.

Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) are an easy way to track your blood sugar patterns. Select types of monitors are available direct-to-consumer (no prescription needed), and they connect to an app on your phone that shows real-time glucose levels for up to 15 days.

How to improve it:

Tracking your blood glucose levels can help you understand how different foods affect your body and allow you to make strategic changes, such as adjusting food sequences (eating protein and fiber before carbohydrates) to improve glucose stability.

If you notice persistent glucose spikes, it may be a sign to seek further evaluation and personalized guidance from a functional medicine practitioner.

5. Inflammatory Markers (CRP and Homocysteine)

Chronic inflammation is a silent driver of many age-related diseases. Testing C-reactive protein (CRP) and homocysteine levels provides insight into systemic inflammation and cardiovascular risk.

How to improve it:

Anti-inflammatory foods, stress management, and regular exercise can help lower these markers. However, these metrics and their associated recommendations are highly unique to the person, so it’s best to work directly with a functional medicine practitioner to track and improve inflammatory markers.

6. Body Composition (Muscle Mass and Visceral Fat)

Rather than just focusing on weight, measuring muscle mass, body fat percentage, and visceral fat gives a clearer picture of metabolic health and longevity.

Muscle burns calories faster than fat, even at rest, so the more muscle mass you have, the better your metabolic health will be. Plus, muscle mass will protect your bones and joints as you age, keeping you strong, nimble, and mobile.

Typically, a Body Composition Analysis (BCA) test can give you your current breakdown of muscle mass, body fat percentage, and visceral fat.

How to improve it:

Strength training is one of the most important things to do as you age to build lean muscle mass. Aim for at least two to three strength training sessions per week with either weights or resistance bands.

Focus on progressive overload — gradually increasing the weight, reps, or intensity over time — to continue building and maintaining muscle.

7. Blood Lipid Profile (Cholesterol and Triglycerides)

Healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels are essential for cardiovascular health. Regular lipid panel testing in your lab work helps assess heart disease risk and can guide dietary and lifestyle choices to maintain optimal levels.

How to improve it:

An anti-inflammatory, high-fiber diet can do wonders for your cholesterol, as well as regular exercise and stress management (this is a big one).

Working with a functional medicine practitioner is the best thing you can do to address your blood lipid profile, as they will be able to provide personalized recommendations based on your health history, genetic predispositions, and current lifestyle habits.

8. Sleep Quality Metrics

Sleep is a cornerstone of longevity. Tracking sleep duration, deep sleep, REM sleep, and sleep disturbances with a wearable such as a smartwatch or a ring can provide insight into recovery, cognitive function, and overall health.

How to improve it:

Prioritize consistent sleep and wake times, limit screen exposure before bed, avoid caffeine later in the day, and create a dark, quiet sleeping environment (read more about sleep hygiene here).

If you feel like you’ve checked all of the boxes as far as sleep hygiene goes, a functional medicine practitioner can help you dig deeper and analyze your sleep data to figure out the root cause.

9. Grip Strength and Functional Movement

Grip strength is a surprisingly strong predictor of overall mortality and functional longevity. It reflects muscular strength and overall physical resilience, and can be tested with a simple grip strength monitor.

How to improve it:

Dedicate some time every day to training your grip strength, whether you’re focusing your regular workout on movements that involve grip (bar hangs or deadlifts) or doing ball squeezes throughout your day.

10. Biological Age

Everyone knows their chronological age (your age in years), but do you know your biological age? It’s not always the same.

Biological age refers to your body’s age based on various biomarkers. It’s a comprehensive measure that factors in genetics, lifestyle, and environmental exposures to determine how quickly (or slowly) you’re aging at the cellular level.

Tests like the CIMT (Carotid Intima-Media Thickness) test, which measures the age and health of your arteries and your risk of heart disease, the TruAge epigenetic age test, and other multi-marker panels can provide insights into your biological age and how it compares to your actual age.

How to improve it:

Focus on whole-body health: adopt anti-inflammatory nutrition, engage in regular physical activity, prioritize high-quality sleep, and manage stress. Regularly tracking and optimizing the other metrics listed above can also help reverse or slow down biological aging over time.

Taking Action

Tracking these health metrics is more than just data collection — it’s a way to tune into your body, stay ahead of illness, and make intentional choices that support a long, vibrant life.

Each small improvement adds up over time, helping you feel stronger, more energized, and more in control of your well-being. The path to longevity is not one-size-fits-all, but by looking into these indicators and optimizing them, you can build a foundation for health that lasts for years to come.