To Live Longer, Make a Few Daily Tweaks

Want to tack on a year to your life? The math, researchers say, might come down to a few extra minutes and a few extra bites. Two major studies published on Tuesday suggest that tiny, sustainable tweaks to sleep, movement, and diet can add years not only to your lifespan, but to the years you live free of serious disease.

• In one study, University of Sydney researchers tracked more than 59,000 older adults in the UK using wrist devices and diet questionnaires. Compared with people who slept about 5.5 hours, exercised just over 7 minutes a day, and ate poorly, those who made modest improvements across all three areas could gain roughly a year of life by adding just 5 minutes of nightly sleep, 2 minutes of daily exercise, and a small bump in diet quality (think half a serving more vegetables or a bit more whole grains).
• The gains grew with bigger—but still manageable—changes. For those starting with the worst habits, combining roughly 24 extra minutes of sleep, just under 4 more minutes of daily exercise, and a better-quality diet was tied to four additional disease-free years. A larger overhaul—about three extra hours of sleep, 25 more minutes of daily moderate-to-vigorous activity, and a substantial diet upgrade—was associated with up to a decade of added life. Lead author Nicholas Koemel cautioned this protocol isn't a "silver bullet," but he argued that "tiny behaviors" that feel doable and stick can add up over time.

• The second study, led by Norway's School of Sport Sciences and involving more than 135,000 adults in four countries, zoomed in on how we spend our waking hours. Swapping out 30 minutes of daily sitting was linked with a 7% drop in deaths over about eight years. Adding just 5 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise corresponded to a 10% reduction, while an extra half-hour of light activity (like casual walking) was tied to a 5% decrease.
• Experts not involved in the research tell NBC News that the findings reinforce a familiar theme: Perfection isn't required. Sleep doctors point out that even adding 30 minutes to whatever you usually get can be a realistic target. Exercise researchers note the biggest benefits often come when people go from almost nothing to "some." And nutrition specialists, while warning the observational data can't prove cause and effect, say the message still stands: Change a little, then build from there.