As more Americans are living into their eighties and beyond, the question is no longer simply how long we live — but how well. That was the animating theme behind Healthy Aging 2026: Aging With Purpose, Power and Play, a daylong conference hosted by Stanford Lifestyle Medicine, Stanford Prevention Research Center and the Longevity Project. Drawing more than 700 attendees in person and online, the event brought together researchers, clinicians and thought leaders to explore what it takes to build a longer, healthier — and more meaningful — life after 50.

The conference opened with a candid keynote conversation between geriatrician Louise Aronson and Longevity Project founder Ken Stern. Aronson challenged the audience to rethink the very structure of American healthcare. “We have a medical system, not a healthcare system,” she said, noting that financial incentives still favor treating illness over preventing it. Aronson pointed to three foundational habits for healthy aging: regular exercise, strong social ties and a sense of purpose and self-worth. Research, she added, increasingly shows that positive attitudes toward aging correlate with better cognitive, emotional and physical outcomes — suggesting that ageism has long distorted both science and society.

Researcher Steven Crane echoed the emphasis on connection with sobering data from a national survey on social well-being. Despite living in an era of hyperconnectivity, Americans are more isolated than ever, Crane noted: 41 percent report feeling lonely “at least sometimes,” and only 17 percent say they have six or more close friends. “Humans are made for each other,” Crane said, arguing that social connection is not a luxury but a biological necessity tied to survival, purpose and long-term health. “If you don’t have other people, it’s hard to have purpose and thus a healthy life.”

If connection is one pillar of healthy aging, strength is another. Exercise physiologist Stacy Sims made a compelling case for resistance training as a cornerstone of longevity. Building muscle later in life can improve everything from cardiovascular health to brain function. “It’s never too late,” Sims said, pushing back against a fitness culture overly focused on weight loss rather than functional strength. Sims shared studies showing that older adults who engage in strength training demonstrate increased neural activity and even reductions in “brain age.”

A myth-busting panel featuring Rachele Pojednic, Stanford adjunct professor of human biology, debated supplements and biohacking trends. While emerging science around compounds like the metabolism coenzyme NAD+ shows promise, panelists stressed that no pill can replace the fundamentals of sleep, nutrition, movement and stress management. “There are no magic bullets,” Pojednic said. “You have to look at the whole system.”

Equally powerful was the focus on mindset. Stanford psychologist Alia Crum presented research showing that beliefs about aging and health can directly influence physiological outcomes. People with more positive views of aging not only live longer — by as much as 7.5 years according to one study — but also engage more readily in health-promoting behaviors.

The final session shifted gears to an often overlooked factor in longevity: play. Gerontologist Kerry Burnight, author of JoySpan, described joy as essential, rooted in growth, connection, adaptability and giving. A dance party and lively panel titled The Science of Fun, led by Mia Sundstrom, CEO of the National Institute for Play, underscored the fact that play enhances resilience, memory and even workplace performance. In short, fun is serious business.

Taken together, Healthy Aging 2026 offered a holistic, science-based vision of longevity built on a foundation of relationships, resilience, movement and meaning. 

For weekly news and tips on social connection and healthy aging, subscribe to Healthy to 100, a newsletter from the Longevity Project. Readers are invited to submit questions about social connection to founder Ken Stern here.