Adding just a few minutes of exercise per day could impact a person’s life expectancy, a new study has found.
Combined with an extra 24 minutes of sleep and small improvements to diet quality, those daily changes could add up to several additional years of life.
The research is one of two studiespublished this weekthat examine how small adjustments to day-to-day movement, sleep and diet are associated with substantial health improvements.
Sleep, physical activity and diet study
The study, published in eClinicalMedicine, followed up a group of people eight years after they signed up for UK Biobank, a massive project that collected data on demographics, health and lifestyle in the early 2000s.
The team of researchers, led by Nicholas Koemel of the University of Sydney, fitted 59,078 people with trackers to monitor their exercise and sleep patterns for a week.
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They also rated the participants’ self-reported diet at the time they signed up for UK Biobank to come up with a score out of 100.
According to the researchers, the study is the first of its kind to investigate the minimum combined doses of device-measured sleep and physical activity, alongside a comprehensive dietary score.
“We were aiming to look at the interconnection between sleep, physical activity, and diet; and our lifespan — which is the number of years that we live — and our healthspan, that’s essentially the number of years we live free from chronic disease,” Dr Koemel said.
The research found that small improvements in all three areas made gains in both lifespan and healthspan.
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The study found that improvement of life expectancy by one year when participants added:
just five extra minutes of sleep per day, plus
just under two minutes per day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and
an extra half serving of vegetables.
“One of the core findings from our study was that realistic improvements, these modest tiny tweaks across multiple behaviours, the sleep, physical activity, and diet, were able to create meaningful improvements in our lifespan and healthspan,” Dr Koemel said.
While these baby steps could help, overall the study found that the “optimal combination” of the three categories correlated with an additional nine years of life expectancy was:
seven to eight hours of sleep,
just over 40 minutes of moderate exercise per day,
and a healthy diet.
Moira Junge, an adjunct clinical professor and health psychologist at Monash University, praised the studies and said looking at the combination of sleep, exercise and diet over the long term is crucial in longevity research.
“We absolutely need to put it together, and research like this is proof that even small changes can make a really big difference to your health and wellbeing,” Dr Junge said.
Cutting sitting by half hour helps with life expectancy
The second study, published in The Lancet,examined participants who had low activity levels and spent hours sitting throughout the day.
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Data from more than 135,000 adults across Norway, Sweden and the United States, combined with data from the UK Biobank examined the impact ofdaily physical activity and reductions in sedentary behaviours on mortality.
The researchersfound a nine per cent reduction in mortality risk when those sitting for eight or more hours a day reduced their sitting time by 30 minutes.
Studies have linked long periods of sitting with increased risk of several chronic health conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some types of cancer. (ABC News: Danielle Bonica)
Sedentary behaviour has previously beenlinked to higher rates of chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, colon cancer and cardiovascular diseases, prompting some claims that “sitting is the new smoking”.
The study also found that increasing physical activity by just five minutes a day could have a significant health impact, especially for minimally active people.
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Increasing from one minute to six minutes of exercise per day was associated with an approximately 30 per cent reduction in mortality risk. Those who increased activity from one minute to 11 minutes per day saw an approximate 42 per cent reduction in mortality risk.
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In 2022, a reported four in 10 Australian adults (aged 18–64) were insufficiently physically active: not meeting the recommended 150–300 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity across five or more days per week.
“In reality, there’s always going to be people who don’t meet the guidelines,” said Melody Ding, a professor of public health at University of Sydney who co-led the study.
“But what we know is that especially for those who are extremely inactive, for them to get to do a little bit more, that’s where we get the most bang for their buck.“
“It tells us in terms of the benefits of physical activity, that we don’t need to get everybody to do so much. This micro-dosing concept, especially for those who are inactive, could make a huge difference in terms of health outcomes,” she said.
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Something better than nothing
Dr Junge hoped the study findings could help people feel positive health outcomes are achievable.
“I think that when people can feel like they’ve got mastery over something then they’re more likely to change their behaviour and more likely to have motivation to change. Health is a confidence game,” she said.
Lauren Ball, a professor of community health and wellbeing at University of Queensland, said the two newstudies reconfirm the importance of diet, physical activity and sleep for overall health and wellbeing.
“The notion that modest increases in physical activity is beneficial is also supported by other studies, suggesting that doing something is always better than nothing,” she said.
“The results also support behaviour change theories that suggest that improving one aspect of health behaviour, such as eating well, may increase motivation or self-efficacy for other health behaviours, such as being physically active.
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“This is an uplifting reminder for us all about the value of these health behaviours.“
‘Not a silver bullet’
While these numbers might be inspiring for some, Dr Koemel said they were not a “silver bullet”.
“It’s something that’s easy to accidentally take away from this; that maybe we only need to do one minute of exercise, and that’s not the case,” he said.
“We still have physical guidelines, and those are there for a reason. This is really about helping us go that extra step, and ask what we would need to do to take the first step in the right direction.”
The studies found that mortality improvements were most significant in participants who were inactive.
But Dr Ding said there was a “saturation point”.
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“For example, in this study our data has shown that for those who are already doing 30 or 40 minutes per day; the active people who are meeting the guidelines, adding another five minutes, you don’t really see visible change.”
Despite this, Dr Koemel said looking at small daily changes across sedentary behaviours, sleep, diet and physical activity could have positive impacts more widely.
“We want to try to create opportunities where everybody can make change. The idea that we need to make these massive overhauls; wake up and and run a marathon or go to the gym every day of the week, that might not necessarily be the best starting place,” he said.
“This gives that open door for us to go through and say, ‘Well, look, if we won’t be able to make massive changes or consume a perfect diet in the ideal world, here’s a starting place for everybody to put the best foot forward.’“
When it comes to building strong, defined arms, traditional fitness advice will usually point you toward endless sets of bicep curls and tricep extensions. But according to Dr Stacy Sims, a leading women’s exercise physiologist specialising in perimenopause and menopause, isolation movements like these aren’t necessarily the most effective. Instead, she advocates for one functional compound movement: the farmer’s carry.
Speaking on podcast A Life of Greatness, when host Sarah Grynberg asks how to get arm muscles like Dr Sims, the 51-year-old explained: ‘In order to get shoulders like this, heavy farmer’s carries. I’ve been travelling so much this year, and I haven’t been in the gym being consistent with all the push presses and Olympic lifts that I love to do, but what I have been consistent in doing is heavy farmer’s carries.
‘It’s good for grip strength, learning how to walk properly, core strength, shoulders – so if there’s one move everyone should do, it’s heavy farmer’s carries.’
The magic of the move lies in its ability to engage your biceps, triceps, shoulders, forearms and hands all at once. And because your arms are working continuously to stabilise heavy loads against gravity, the exercise activates the deep muscle fibres that don’t fire up as efficiently in single-joint arm movements, like bicep curls. Here’s how to do it with proper form, plus how heavy to lift and a workout to try, straight from Dr Sims.
How to do a farmer’s carry
Standing with feet hip-width apart and weights at the outside of the ankles, hinge your hips back and bend the knees, keeping your back flat.
Tighten up your lower back and abdominals before reaching down to grab the weights.
After gripping the weights, begin to stand tall by driving your heels into the ground, maintaining a tight form. Once you reach full standing position, tighten your armpits and make sure your shoulders are pulled back to activate the muscles in the rotator cuff area.
Finally, begin to take small steps forward, maintaining a strong grip and form. If you’re returning in opposite direction, set the weights down, turn around, and then grab the weights again before walking in the opposite direction.
Set/reps for results: Aim for three sets. Try timing your farmer’s carry for 25 to 30 seconds or go for 10 steps forward and back.
Form tips: Start out with a light weight to ensure you don’t end up leaning too far forward or towards one side. Make sure to keep your back straight for safety. When it comes to moving, small strides will do. They’ll keep you balanced as you increase your weights.
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How heavy to lift
As for what “heavy” means to Dr Sims, she says: ‘How many people have heard that you should be able to farmer carry 75% of your body weight for a minute? That is made up from bro science. It’s a good metric but there’s no science behind it. So, a heavy farmer’s carry is you have two very heavy dumbbells by your side and you’re walking back and forth.’
Here’s a weight guide to follow:
Beginners: 2x 4-6kg
Intermediate: 2x 8-12kg
Advanced: 2x 12-20kg
Farmer’s carry workout
Dr Sims shares a descending ladder workout to try.
500m ski
500m heavy farmer’s carry
400m ski
400m heavy farmer’s carry
300m ski
300m heavy farmer’s carry
200m ski
200m heavy farmer’s carry
100m ski
100m heavy farmer’s carry
‘If you really have anything left in the tank after this workout, you go back up in 100m,’ she adds.
One of our most frequently asked questions here at Women’s Health? How to build muscle and burn fat at the same time. So, we asked superstar trainer Oyinda Okunowo exactly how to do it. In this 4-week plan – created exclusively for Women’s Health COLLECTIVE members – you’ll get the workouts and nutrition guidance needed to help you on your way to better body composition. Tap the link below to unlock 14 days of free access to Oyinda’s plan and start training today.
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As Women’s Health UK’s fitness director and a qualified Pilates and yoga instructor, Bridie Wilkins has been passionately reporting on exercise, health and nutrition since the start of her decade-long career in journalism.
After earning a first-class degree in journalism and NCTJ accreditation, she secured her first role at Look Magazine, where she launched the magazine’s health and fitness column, Look Fit, before going on to become Health and Fitness writer at HELLO!
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Since, she has written for Stylist, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Elle, The Metro, Runner’s World and Red. Today, she oversees all fitness content across Women’s Health online and in print, spearheading leading cross-platform franchises, such as ‘Fit At Any Age’, which showcases the women proving that age is no barrier to exercise.
She has also represented the brand on BBC Radio London, plus various podcasts and Substacks – all with the aim to encourage more women to exercise and show them how. Outside of work, find her trying the latest Pilates studio, testing her VO2 max for fun (TY, Oura), or posting workouts on Instagram.
The sun is a welcome addition to our exercise routines come summer – but the novelty of a sunny run or hike can quickly wear off as the temperature climbs. With heatwaves and record-breaking temperatures already this year, it’s important to know the best time to exercise in the heat for the weeks ahead.
Obviously, if you don’t like the heat and would rather be inside, then you can exercise in an air-conditioned gym or studio at any time of day. A good swimming workout is another way to stay cool. However, if you enjoy running, hiking, cycling, or a garden strength training workout, it makes sense to choose the coolest times of day. In the peak of the summer, this is before 10 am and after 5 pm, but the earlier (or later) you can go, the better.
The body reacts differently in the heat, making exercise above 20°C degrees feel harder, even if you’re doing the same workout you did in the cooler months. As the temperature climbs, blood vessels dilate to push blood towards the surface of the skin to cool it down, which means there is less in the muscles. This means your heart has to work harder and beat faster.
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You also naturally sweat more, which is the body’s way of cooling down. However, important micronutrients called electrolytes are lost in sweat, and if they aren’t replenished (through hydrating foods or electrolyte supplements), it can lead to lower blood volume, triggering symptoms like fatigue, rapid heart rate, and dizziness that extend beyond your workout.
As well as checking the day’s top temperature, you should check the heat index. This indicates how humid it can be, which can be more of a problem than the warmth and can leave you sticky and sweaty before you’ve even pulled on your running shoes.
With that in mind, Brian Maiorano, coach liaison for sports-tech company CORE, has some tips for exercising in the heat. “When the weather begins to really heat up, these are the best ways to train during a heatwave, and to really stay safe,” he says.
Don’t be afraid to sweat: You can gradually adapt to the heat within 4 to 5 days by raising your core temperature in a controlled way. Top athletes call this ‘heat training’, and it’s very effective if you’re careful to not overcook yourself.
Stay hydrated: As well as drinking water, you can douse your head and torso in it to stay cool.
Lower your intensity during the heat: Monitor your heart rate and stick to zone 2 if you’re exercising in the heat. This is 60 to 70% of your maximum heart rate (220 minus your age), and stop at any signs of dizziness, nausea, or headache.
Choose when to do your most vigorous training: During intense sessions, you don’t want the additional stress of heat, so Brian recommends doing it in climate-controlled conditions (like switching your run to a treadmill workout) or choosing the best time to exercise in the heat.
Don’t spend the whole day in an air-conditioned room: “Too much time enjoying the cool air can make you miserable when you are exposed to heat,” says Brian.
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Kylie Minogue has stayed active her whole life, but, refreshingly, she doesn’t follow a punishingly strict routine to stay fit.
‘I wish I was one of those women who do their exercises first thing in the morning, or run straight to the fitness studio as soon as they get up,’ she told Star Magazine. ‘But unfortunately, I’m just not that disciplined!’
Instead, the ‘I Should Be So Lucky’ singer partly relies on her hectic schedue to keep her moving. ‘I don’t really work out, but I’m constantly on the go,’ she told Express.
‘My guilty confession is that there isn’t [a routine]!…I think I stay in shape with an active (read, exhausting!) lifestyle,’ she continued on Reddit. ‘My fitness is really sporadic. I have to thank my mum for good genes.’
Kylie Minogue’s go-to exercises
Despite her self-professed low-key approach, the global multi-platinum recording artist incorporates several workout methods into her day, preferring mainly low-impact and moderate-intensity exercise.
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‘I do Pilates,’ she continued to Star. But she’s careful to keep things balanced. ‘I don’t overdo it,’ she clarified.
‘I like to at the very least do 15 minutes on the Yoga Studio app. I know how to do it without the app but the tone of the woman’s voice and that it’s timed, it goes by so quickly,’ she told WSJ. ‘Then I feel like that’s done and I feel good.’
Often, her exercise of choice also depends on what equipment is available.
‘If there’s a treadmill nearby, I like to do that. We say in my family, “Minogues don’t run.” None of us run. But we like to walk, so that works for me,’ she added. ‘If I’m somewhere where there’s Pilates, I love that.’
Workouts that provide holistic physical and mental benefits are often a favourite.
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‘I’ve also tried Gyrotonics; that was really fun,’ she continued, referring to the gymnastics-and-swimming-inspired movement system developed by Julia Horvath in the 80s. Designed to decompress the body, build strength and flexibility, and improve posture, it’s increasingly being adopted by Olympic athletes and celebrities alike.
‘I loved aerobics and I used to do Callanetics,’ she added to Express. Created by classical ballet-trained Callan Pinckney around 40 years ago, Callanetics uses ‘small, precise pulsing movements’ to ‘activate muscles’. ‘I would travel everywhere with this home workout on a VHS tape and put it on in hotel rooms,’ Kylie revealed.
However, being the ‘Princess of Pop’ does mean that the physical demands are considerable, and often her endurance, coordination and overall fitness are put to the test when she’s on stage.
‘I would say my ultimate workout is being on tour. I’m never as fit as when I’m on tour, so I can’t wait to tour again. My body needs it.’
One of our most frequently asked questions here at Women’s Health? How to build muscle and burn fat at the same time. So, we asked superstar trainer Oyinda Okunowo exactly how to do it. In this 4-week plan – created exclusively for Women’s Health COLLECTIVE members – you’ll get the workouts and nutrition guidance needed to help you on your way to better body composition. Tap the link below to unlock 14 days of free access to Oyinda’s plan and start training today.
