Living a longer life without chronic illness may not require drastic lifestyle changes. According to a new medical study, small and achievable adjustments to daily habits could meaningfully extend healthy life expectancy.
The findings come from research led by the University of Sydney in Australia. The study highlights how modest improvements in diet, physical activity, and sleep can collectively reduce the risk of major chronic diseases and add years to life.
Also Read: Walking Just 7,000 Steps a Day Can Boost Your Health
A Large-Scale Study Across Eight Years
The research analysed health data from nearly 60,000 adults in the United Kingdom. On average, participants were followed for around eight years. During this period, researchers closely monitored their daily routines and overall health outcomes.
Participants provided detailed information about their dietary habits. In addition, they wore wrist-based trackers that recorded physical activity levels and sleep duration. This combination allowed researchers to collect objective data rather than relying only on self-reported behaviour.
Using this information, scientists applied advanced statistical models to examine how lifestyle factors influenced long-term health. Specifically, they focused on how long individuals remained free from conditions such as heart disease, dementia, chronic lung disease, and type 2 diabetes.
Small Changes, Measurable Benefits
One of the study’s most striking findings was how minor daily changes could translate into meaningful gains in life expectancy.
According to the researchers, adding just five extra minutes of sleep each night could have a measurable impact. Similarly, two additional minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day-such as brisk walking or climbing stairs-also contributed to better outcomes. On top of that, eating an extra half cup of vegetables daily further improved health prospects.
When these three changes were combined, the models suggested a potential increase of up to one additional year of life expectancy.
Importantly, the benefits were most pronounced among individuals with poorer baseline habits. These included people who consumed low-quality diets, slept fewer than six hours per night, and exercised for only about seven minutes a day.
Why Lifestyle Still Matters
The researchers accounted for several other factors that influence health. These included ultra-processed food consumption, smoking, alcohol use, body weight, insomnia, snoring, and other sleep-related issues.
Even after adjusting for these variables, the results consistently showed that small, positive lifestyle changes led to noticeable health benefits. This reinforces a growing body of evidence suggesting that everyday choices play a central role in long-term wellbeing.
Bigger Improvements, Longer Life
While the study focused on small daily changes, it also examined the impact of more substantial improvements.
The researchers estimated that individuals who exercised an additional 42 to 103 minutes per week, slept between seven and nine hours per night, and regularly consumed healthy foods could extend their life expectancy by approximately 9.5 years.
Meanwhile, those who exercised around 23 minutes per day, slept seven to eight hours nightly, and maintained a nutritious diet could gain roughly four extra years of life.
These estimates reflect disease-free years, meaning added time without major chronic conditions rather than simply a longer lifespan.
Important Limitations to Consider
Despite the encouraging results, the researchers urged caution. They acknowledged that the findings are based on statistical modelling rather than direct cause-and-effect evidence.
As a result, they cannot conclusively prove that lifestyle changes alone cause longer life. However, they argue that the associations are strong and consistent enough to be meaningful.
A Practical Message for Everyday Life
The study, published in the journal eClinicalMedicine, delivers a practical message. Improving health does not always require radical change. Instead, small steps-taken consistently-can add up over time.
For many people, sleeping a little longer, moving a bit more, and eating more vegetables may be realistic goals. If sustained, these habits could help reduce disease risk and support a longer, healthier life.
