Objectives: Early adoption of healthy habits, maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding smoking and physical inactivity, and achieving higher education can significantly change disability-free (DFLE) and total years lost (TYL), reducing risks of disability and premature mortality, and promoting independent longer, active lives. Aim: Our study assessed the individual and joint impact of these identified risk factors on DFLE and TLE across three cohorts of women, now aged 46-51, 74-79 and 88-93 years. Furthermore, highlighting healthy aging policies and practices for younger generations to extend their life expectancies. Methods: We applied discrete-time multistate Markov models to estimate life expectancy impacts using 40,000 participants in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health linked to the National Death Index (1996–2024). Additionally, developed a matrix tool to compare effects of individual’s risk factors on life expectancy, to identify early intervention strategies. Results: TYL in poor health for women aged 46-51 is almost that to women 30 years older (aged 74-79) (TYL 5.62 vs 7.34years) after adjusting for all risk factors. Yet women aged 88-93 were almost half that of the mid-aged cohort. However, since risk factor prevalences were lower in the more recent cohort, the overall life expectancies were better for women that started in good health. Conclusion: Co-occurring lifestyle risk factors significantly reduce DFLE, with the greatest losses among low-educated women. As education levels rise in recent cohorts, other risks especially those emerging in early adulthood and mid-life gain greater importance. For younger generations, public health planning must prioritise targeted interventions and resource allocation to lower chronic illness prevalence, supporting healthy ageing.