A study published in The Lancet analyzed data from 59,078 adults in the U.K. Biobank and found that small combined shifts in sleep, exercise, and diet may significantly extend lifespan and years spent in good health. Researchers from the University of Sydney measured sleep patterns and physical activity via wearables and assessed diet through a questionnaire.
When combined, small behavioral changes were correlated to approximately one extra year of life: an extra five minutes of sleep per day, an extra two minutes of moderate physical activity per day, and a slight diet quality improvement or a five-point increase in diet quality score. This diet improvement could include an additional half-serving of vegetables or 1.5 servings of whole grains per day. A more substantial combined improvement—24 extra minutes of sleep per day, 3.7 extra minutes of exercise, and a 23-point increase in diet quality—was associated with four additional years of life.
Adjusting all three behaviors simultaneously showed the strongest benefit, contributing to approximately nine additional years of lifespan according to the findings. A simultaneous study published in The Lancet revealed that making small changes in movement contributes to lower mortality risk. Engaging in five extra minutes per day of moderate physical activity was associated with a 10 percent death reduction for adults who typically average about 17 minutes of daily activity. The study included 135,000 adults across Sweden, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Adding 10 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per day was associated with a 15 percent reduction in all deaths among most adults, while a one-hour reduction in sedentary time was connected to a 13 percent death rate reduction.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.foxnews.com/health/3-simple-lifestyle-changes-could-add-almost-decade-your-life-research-shows