Just five minutes of daily exercise can lower dementia risk, study finds
Five Minutes That Can Change Your Life: Why Every Move Truly Counts
What if improving your health and adding years to your life didn’t require long gym sessions or drastic lifestyle changes? According to a major new study published in The Lancet, just five minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise a day—think of a brisk walk—can reduce the risk of early death by up to 30%, especially for people who are mostly inactive.
Let’s break this down in a simple, practical way—because this research carries a powerful message: small steps really do matter.
What the Study Found (In Simple Terms)
Researchers analyzed data from more than 135,000 adults, with an average age of 64, using wearable activity trackers instead of self-reported activity. This makes the findings far more accurate and reliable.
Here’s what stood out:
- The least active 20% of people gained the biggest health benefits from even tiny increases in movement.
- Adding just five minutes a day of brisk walking or similar activity could prevent 6% of premature deaths in this high-risk group.
- If the whole population adopted this habit, premature deaths could drop by 10% overall.
Featured Snippet Takeaway:
Five minutes of daily moderate exercise can significantly reduce the risk of early death, especially among sedentary adults.
Sitting Less Also Saves Lives
Exercise isn’t the only factor. The study also highlights the danger of prolonged sitting.
- Cutting sitting time by 30 minutes a day
- Taking 1–2 minute movement breaks every hour
These simple changes alone could reduce premature deaths by 3% to 7%.
In short: stand up, move a little, repeat.
Why Inactive People Benefit the Most
One of the most encouraging findings is that the more sedentary you are, the more your body benefits from small changes.
- Going from 1 minute to 6 minutes of daily activity → 30% lower mortality risk
- Increasing activity from 9 to 14 minutes → 18% lower risk
- After about 24 minutes a day, the benefits continue—but at a slower pace
This means you don’t need to “catch up” to fitness enthusiasts. Your body rewards progress, not perfection.
The Power of Combining Sleep, Exercise, and Diet
A second study, published in eClinicalMedicine (part of The Lancet group), looked at how sleep, physical activity, and nutrition work together to improve both lifespan and years lived without serious disease.
The results were eye-opening:
- To gain one extra year of life, you only need:
5 more minutes of sleep
2 more minutes of exercise
Half a serving of vegetables per day
Trying to achieve the same result by improving sleep alone would require 25 extra minutes a day. That’s the power of synergy.
How to Add Up to 10 Healthy Years to Your Life
The study also explored the optimal lifestyle combination:
- 7–8 hours of sleep
- 42+ minutes of daily exercise
- High-quality, balanced diet
People following these habits gained nearly 10 extra years of healthy life compared to those with poor habits.
Even better? Exercise becomes more efficient when paired with good sleep and nutrition. For example:
- Exercise alone → 30 minutes/day for major benefits
- Exercise + sleep + diet → just 10 minutes/day of intense activity for similar results
Why This Research Is More Trustworthy
Unlike older studies that relied on memory and self-reporting, participants in these studies wore accelerometers, providing continuous and objective movement data.
This approach shows that earlier research likely underestimated how powerful physical activity really is in reducing early death.
Expert Perspective: Still Aim Higher, But Start Small
Experts caution that these are observational studies, meaning they don’t prove direct cause and effect. Still, the implications are huge.
Dr. Aiden Doherty from the University of Oxford supports the findings while reminding adults to aim for WHO guidelines:
- 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, or
- 75 minutes of vigorous activity
- Plus muscle-strengthening activities twice a week
But his key message echoes the study’s conclusion:
“Every movement counts.”
The Bottom Line
You don’t need to overhaul your life to protect your health.
- Start with five minutes
- Sit a little less
- Sleep a little better
- Eat a little smarter
These small, realistic changes—especially when combined—can dramatically improve your chances of living longer and healthier.
And the best part? You can start today.
#DailyExercise #HealthyLongevity #MoveMoreLiveLonger #PreventiveHealth #FitnessForLife