An extra five minutes of sleep, two more minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity such as brisk walking or taking the stairs and an additional half serving of vegetables per day could lead to an extra year of life for those who have poor sleep, physical activity and dietary habits. Yes, small changes daily may have a cumulative, big effect on longevity, according to two studies by researchers at the University of Sydney.
Research led by Dr Nicholas Koemel from the Mackenzie Wearables Hub at the Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, showed that a few combined tweaks to sleep, diet and physical activity can increase an individual’s lifespan. Another study in the Lancet, co-led by Professor Melody Ding from the School of Public Health, University of Sydney, found that small increases in daily physical activity had an impact on early mortality.
Why small, realistic tweaks improve long-term health
The study, published in the Lancet, showed that by just following healthy habits for a few extra minutes could lead to an extra year of life. This study looked at almost 60,000 people in the UK Biobank cohort recruited between 2006 and 2010 and followed for an average of eight hours. Sleep and physical activity were measured using wrist-worn accelerometers over seven days, while diet quality was assessed via a validated questionnaire and given a Diet Quality Score.
Getting seven to eight hours of sleep per day, more than 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day and a healthy diet were associated with over nine years of additional lifespan and years spent in good health, compared to those with the worst sleep, physical activity and dietary habits. According to Dr Koemel, this study highlights the importance of considering lifestyle behaviours as a package rather than in isolation.
“While major lifestyle overhauls are often recommended, they may not always be achievable or sustainable. Our results suggest that modest, combined changes may offer meaningful health benefits, be more likely to be maintained over time and provide an important starting point for individuals who may otherwise find it difficult to initiate lifestyle change. Starting by reviewing our daily routines to identify where small, realistic tweaks can be made is an important first step towards improving long term health and longevity,” he told The Indian Express.
Achievable changes in physical activity mean lower mortality risks
In another study in the Lancet, Prof Ding and team studied data from more than 1,35,000 adults across seven cohorts in Norway, Sweden, and the US, as well as the UK Biobank. Using device-measured physical activity and sedentary time spent, researchers estimated the proportion of deaths preventable by small daily increases in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. They found that for a majority (80 per cent) of adults, walking an extra five minutes daily at a moderate pace would reduce the chance of an early death by 10 per cent. The study also found that when these adults reduced their sedentary time by 30 minutes per day, it amounted to a seven per cent risk reduction in mortality.
Researchers emphasised that these findings were meant to highlight potential benefits for the population as a whole and should not be used as personalised advice, such as specific exercise recommendations for individuals. “More research using wearable activity trackers is needed in low- and middle-income countries, where people’s ages, activity levels and health risks may differ significantly from those in this study,” they said.
Dr K Srinath Reddy, honorary distinguished professor at the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), said that these studies provide additional proof that adoption of healthy living habits, even in moderation, can add years to life and life to years. “Several studies have shown health benefits of moderate to vigorous physical activity on lowering blood pressure, blood glucose, body weight and body fat levels. This large multi-country compilation of cohort data demonstrates that even small increases in daily physical activity can result in significantly lowered risk of all deaths. People with the lowest levels of physical activity have the most to gain in terms of lowered risk of death if they adopt the habit of regular physical activity. If widely adopted at the population level, about 10 per cent of all deaths can be avoided in the seventh and eighth decades of life,” he said.
On the study that suggested adoption of a healthy diet and good sleeping habits along with moderate to vigorous physical activity, Dr Reddy said these changes “resulted in prolongation of both lifespan (reduction in deaths due to all causes) and health span (lowered risk of chronic cardio-metabolic diseases and dementia). Public policies across many sectors must create a conducive environment for people to make and maintain healthy living choices across the life course.”
Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues .
Professional Background
Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature.
Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO.
Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives.
Awards and Recognition
Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.”
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care
"Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease.
Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose.
2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series)
Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs.
"For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune.
3. Lifestyle & Wellness News
"They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions.
At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents.
4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure
For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics.
Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far.
Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership
Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions.
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