Here is some genuinely good news!
You do not need to train for a marathon or spend hours at the gym to live longer. According to a large study published in January 2026 in the medical journal The Lancet, adding just five more minutes of movement to your day may make a real difference.
What researchers looked at more than 135,000 adults across the United States, Sweden, Norway, and the United Kingdom. Instead of asking people to remember how much they moved, the researchers used activity trackers to measure it. Then they followed the participants for about eight years.
For most people, adding only five minutes a day of brisk walking or similar activity was linked to up to 10 percent fewer deaths over that period. Step it up to ten minutes a day, and the number climbed to as much as 15 percent. Even sitting a half hour less each day appeared to make a difference.
What "five minutes" can be:
The study measured patterns. Researchers used statistical models to estimate these results, so it shows a strong link between moving more and living longer rather than absolute proof. Even so, the message lines up with decades of research: a body in motion tends to stay healthier.
The takeaway: If you have been waiting for the right moment to move a little more, this is it. Five minutes is a small ask with a potentially big reward. Start where you are, go at your own pace, and let it grow from there.
Read the original article from Harvard Health Publishing here: https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-aging-and-longevity/even-small-changes-in-physical-activity-may-boost-longevity
You do not need to train for a marathon or spend hours at the gym to live longer. According to a large study published in January 2026 in the medical journal The Lancet, adding just five more minutes of movement to your day may make a real difference.
What researchers looked at more than 135,000 adults across the United States, Sweden, Norway, and the United Kingdom. Instead of asking people to remember how much they moved, the researchers used activity trackers to measure it. Then they followed the participants for about eight years.
For most people, adding only five minutes a day of brisk walking or similar activity was linked to up to 10 percent fewer deaths over that period. Step it up to ten minutes a day, and the number climbed to as much as 15 percent. Even sitting a half hour less each day appeared to make a difference.
What "five minutes" can be:
- A walk to the mailbox and back, at a pace that gets you breathing a little harder
- A few slow laps around the garden
- Dancing to one favorite song in the kitchen
- Taking the stairs instead of the elevator
The study measured patterns. Researchers used statistical models to estimate these results, so it shows a strong link between moving more and living longer rather than absolute proof. Even so, the message lines up with decades of research: a body in motion tends to stay healthier.
The takeaway: If you have been waiting for the right moment to move a little more, this is it. Five minutes is a small ask with a potentially big reward. Start where you are, go at your own pace, and let it grow from there.
Read the original article from Harvard Health Publishing here: https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-aging-and-longevity/even-small-changes-in-physical-activity-may-boost-longevity
