Longevity isn't just about lifespan. Healthspan — how long we stay physically fit — and brainspan — how long we stay mentally sharp — are key.

• Why it matters: All those elements of longevity differ based on sex, The Los Angles Times reports.

🖼️ The big picture: The L.A. Times interviewed Maddy Dychtwald, a social researcher and author, on how living longer differs for men and women.

The key takeaway: "Women have actually won the longevity lottery," Dychtwald tells the Times. Women's life expectancy in the U.S. is about 6 years longer than that of men.

• But there's a healthspan gap. "[W]omen, on average, spend the last 12 to 14 years in declining health," she notes.

Between the lines: The disparity could be related to the fact that women's estrogen levels — which are linked to their health — decline as they age, leading to more challenges.

👀 Zoom in: As we've reported, longevity isn't entirely dependent on genetics. There's a great deal all of us can control if we nail the matrix of sleep, exercise, diet and happiness.

• For women, the fitness component of that equation looks a little different than for men. New research from the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai finds that women can exercise less to get the same health benefits as men.
• By the numbers: To reduce risk of premature death by 18%, women need 140 minutes of moderate exercise — like brisk walking — per week, while men need 300.

📈 Good news to go: Research shows that women actually gain confidence and self-esteem after crossing 50, while men plateau, Dychtwald notes.

• 📬 We want to hear from women readers over the age of 50! Have you noticed a confidence boost in yourself or your friends? Send us your dispatch, along with your name and hometown, to [email protected] to be featured in an upcoming newsletter.

Check out this urban front yard, belonging to Finish Liners Linda and Dale Klitzke.

• "When we moved into this townhouse in 2020 in Houston, we took the shrubs out from underneath the front window and added the bench. We sit there in the late afternoon or evening and have time to talk with our neighbors," Linda tells us.