Live longer: a 5-minute daily change could help.

Two recent studies report that small daily habit changes were associated with longer life; a Lancet analysis linked an extra five minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity per day with up to a 10% lower risk of death, and a University of Sydney analysis estimated a combined small increase in sleep, activity and vegetables could add about one year for people with the poorest starting habits.

January often prompts short-term health goals, but many resolutions lapse within weeks. Two recent studies examined whether modest daily changes in movement, sitting time, sleep and diet relate to longevity. Researchers analysed large samples of middle-aged and older adults and tracked outcomes over several years. The reports focus on population-level associations rather than clinical interventions. Key findings: - A study published in The Lancet using data from about 135,000 middle-aged and older adults, led by the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, found that five extra minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day was associated with up to a 10% lower risk of death. - In the Lancet analysis, reducing sedentary time by 30 minutes a day was associated with roughly a 4.5% reduction in deaths among the UK participants, except for those who were already very active. - The World Health Organization’s weekly activity guidelines (150 minutes moderate or 75 minutes vigorous) are cited, and study authors noted not everyone meets them, so smaller, realistic changes were highlighted. - A University of Sydney–led study of about 50,000 people (average age 64) tracked for around eight years found that participants with the best sleep, activity and diets lived an estimated 9.35 years longer than those with the poorest patterns. - For people with the worst sleep, lowest activity and poorest diets, researchers estimated that adding five minutes of sleep, two minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity and half an extra portion of vegetables per day could increase lifespan by about one year; the authors said further research is needed. Summary: These analyses suggest that modest, achievable daily changes in movement, sitting time, sleep and diet were associated with measurable differences in longevity at the population level. The studies are observational, and the researchers indicate that further research is needed to confirm effects and understand the underlying reasons.