Two recent studies have shown that even small changes in daily habits—like moving a bit more, sitting a bit less, sleeping better, and eating healthier—can lead to a longer and healthier life.
These findings offer hope for people who find it hard to meet big health goals, showing that minor improvements still matter.
In the first study, led by researchers in Norway and published in The Lancet, scientists looked at how small changes in physical activity and sitting time could prevent deaths. They found that if people who are the least active added just five minutes a day of moderate-to-vigorous activity, around 6% of all deaths might be prevented.
If almost everyone except the most active added five minutes, about 10% of deaths might be prevented. The same study also found that reducing sitting time by 30 minutes a day could help too. If only the least active people did this, about 3% of deaths might be prevented. If nearly everyone sat less, except the most active, it could prevent 7.3% of deaths.
This study is important because physical inactivity is responsible for about 7–9% of deaths worldwide. Many studies in the past have looked only at people who meet full activity guidelines, leaving it unclear whether smaller efforts help.
This new study shows that even modest increases in movement can make a big difference, especially for those who are least active.
The second study, led by researchers in Australia and published in eClinicalMedicine, looked at three daily behaviors together: sleep, exercise, and diet. Instead of looking at just one behavior at a time, the study focused on how small combined changes can work together to improve health.
The researchers found that having 7.2–8.0 hours of sleep, more than 42 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity a day, and a healthy diet score could lead to an extra 9.35 years of life.
Even smaller changes added up. For example, just five more minutes of sleep, 1.9 more minutes of physical activity, and a five-point improvement in diet score were linked to one extra year of life. If people added 24 minutes of sleep, 3.7 minutes of activity, and a 23-point increase in diet quality, they might gain four extra years of healthy life.
Together, these two studies paint a hopeful picture. You don’t need to make huge lifestyle changes to benefit your health. Just a few more minutes of walking, a little less time sitting, slightly better sleep, and improved food choices can extend both how long you live and how well you live.
These results are a reminder that small steps matter. Whether it’s standing up more often, going for a short walk, going to bed a bit earlier, or adding more fruits and vegetables to your meals—these choices can add up over time and bring meaningful health benefits.
If you care about wellness, please read studies about how ultra-processed foods and red meat influence your longevity, and why seafood may boost healthy aging.
For more health information, please see recent studies that olive oil may help you live longer, and vitamin D could help lower the risk of autoimmune diseases.
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