Adding just five minutes of moderate exercise to your daily routine could be linked to a significant reduction in the risk of premature death, according to a major new international study. The research, which analysed data from 135,000 people in the UK, US, Norway, and Sweden, suggests that such a small, achievable change could have profound benefits for population health.
The Power of Minor Adjustments
For years, public health guidance has often focused on meeting specific, sometimes daunting, weekly exercise targets. This new analysis, led by the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences and published in The Lancet, shifts the focus to the substantial gains possible from incremental improvements. The study found that an extra five minutes a day of moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking, was associated with an estimated 10% reduction in deaths.
Furthermore, the research highlighted the dangers of prolonged sitting. It concluded that reducing sedentary time by just 30 minutes each day was linked to an estimated 7% drop in mortality from all causes. The benefits were most pronounced for the least active 20% of the population, indicating that those who do very little stand to gain the most from starting small.
Expert Endorsement of "Realistic" Changes
Independent experts have welcomed the findings as a crucial step forward in understanding public health. Professor Aiden Doherty from the University of Oxford's Nuffield Department of Population Health described the study as "excellent" and "a leap forward." He emphasised its practical message: "This paper indicates that up to 10% of all premature deaths might be prevented if everyone were to make small and realistic increases to their moderate-intensity physical activity of five minutes a day."
Dr Daniel Bailey, a reader in sedentary behaviour and health at Brunel University London, echoed this sentiment, calling the results "really promising." He explained the feasibility: "Moderate activities are those that make us breathe a bit heavier and feel warmer. So simple daily activities like a brisk walk, housework or gardening will do the trick. And if we want to reduce sitting by 30 minutes a day, this can be swapped for light activities like pottering around the house or a slow walk."
Compounding Benefits with Sleep and Diet
In a complementary study published in the journal eClinicalMedicine, researchers from the University of Sydney found that combining minor improvements across multiple areas could be even more powerful. Analysing data from almost 60,000 UK Biobank participants, they discovered that small, simultaneous upgrades to sleep, activity, and diet were linked with a longer lifespan.
For individuals with the poorest habits, the research suggested that an extra five minutes of sleep, two minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity, and an additional half-serving of vegetables daily could potentially add an extra year of life. The optimal combination identified was seven to eight hours of sleep, over 40 minutes of daily moderate-to-vigorous activity, and a healthy diet, which was associated with living almost a decade longer.
The overarching message from this body of research is clear: when it comes to health, every minute counts. The authors stress that while the findings are not intended as specific personal medical advice, they demonstrate the vast potential for improving public health through modest, achievable adjustments to daily routines. Swapping a brief period of sitting for a brisk walk could be a simple step toward a longer life.
