Researchers based at the University of Sydney have contributed to two studies showing that small changes to daily habits can have significant impact on long-term health and longevity.

Research led Nicholas Koemel from the Mackenzie Wearables Hub at the university’s Charles Perkins Centre showed that a few combined tweaks to sleep, diet and physical activity can increase an individual’s lifespan and years spent in good health.

The study, which was published today (13 January) in eClinicalMedicine, showed that by getting an additional five minutes of sleep, two 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 currently had poor sleep, physical activity and dietary habits.

‘By investigating these factors [ie. sleep, physical activity and nutrition] in combination, we can see that even small tweaks have a significant cumulative impact over the long-term’ [Nicholas Koemel]

Gaining from 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 more than nine years of additional lifespan and years spent in good health, compared to those with the worst sleep, physical activity and dietary habits.

In a press release, Dr Koemel said: ‘Sleep, physical activity and nutrition are all factors known to be linked to healthier lives, but they are usually studied in isolation. By investigating these factors in combination, we can see that even small tweaks have a significant cumulative impact over the long-term.’

Even small changes can be important

The researchers looked at almost 60,000 people in the UK Biobank cohort recruited from 2006-2010 and followed for an average of eight years. 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.

The authors say that these estimates provide important evidence on the wide range of public health impacts associated with even small positive changes in physical activity and inactivity. However, they emphasise that these findings are 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. 

The authors conclude: ‘Our findings suggest that very small, likely achievable, combined changes in SPAN [sleep, physical activity, and nutrition] behaviours, may offer a powerful and feasible public health opportunity for improving lifespan for at least a year, while slightly larger behavioural changes may be required to stave off chronic disease altogether for several years.’

Second paper published in The Lancet

Meanwhile, a study published in The Lancet that was co-led by Melody Ding from the University of Sydney’s School of Public Health, found that small increases in daily physical activity had an impact on early mortality.

Studying data from more than 135,000 adults across seven cohorts in Norway, Sweden, and the USA, as well as the UK Biobank, Professor Ding and her team found that, for the majority (80 percent) of adults, walking an extra five minutes a day at a moderate pace would reduce the chance of an early death by 10 per cent.

‘Inactive lifestyles are associated with a range of health problems and this study shows the huge public health benefit from even small increases in physical activity’ [Melody Ding]

The majority (80 per cent) of adults spend 10 hours being sedentary per day and the study also found that reducing sedentary time by 30 minutes per day for these adults was associated with an estimated 7 per cent reduction in all deaths.

In a press release, Professor Ding said: ‘Inactive lifestyles are associated with a range of health problems and this study shows the huge public health benefit from even small increases in physical activity.’

To access the full version of the first paper – titled Minimum combined sleep, physical activity, and nutrition variations associated with lifeSPAN and healthSPAN improvements: a population cohort study’ DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2025.103741– click 

To access the full version of the second paper – titled Deaths potentially averted by small changes in physical activity and sedentary time: an individual participant data meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies’ – click 

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