It’s the little things that count when it comes to living a longer, healthier life.
A new study published in The Lancet’s eClinicalMedicine journal suggests that getting even just a few more minutes of sleep and exercise, and eating an extra cup of vegetables every day, can significantly boost longevity and impact overall health.
In an analysis of data from the U.S., Sweden, Norway, and the UK, a team of international researchers found that small increases in daily physical activity—as little as an additional five-minute walk at a moderate pace—could potentially reduce mortality risk by as much as 10 percent, while adding a minimum of five minutes of sleep improvement per day can lead to a year of added lifespan, and an extra serving of vegetables can also contribute to a longer life.
“We always think that we need to make these massive overhauls, especially at the beginning of the year with New Year’s resolutions,” says lead study author Nicholas Koemel, a dietitian and research fellow at the University of Sydney. But “tweaks add up to make something meaningful. And that might make us be able to sustain them much further in the long run.”
For those who want to go beyond “tweaks,” the study showed where and how healthy lifestyle interventions can be most effectively applied to alter the aging trajectory and lead to significant improvements in overall health, wellness, and disease-free life expectancy.