Recent research from the University of Sydney reveals that Australians can significantly enhance their longevity by implementing three modest changes to their daily routines. The study indicates a potential reduction of over 10% in the risk of premature death for those who adjust their sleep, diet, and exercise.
The specific changes recommended include: increasing sleep duration by at least 15 minutes, adding an extra 1.6 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity, and incorporating an additional half serving of vegetables into the daily diet. According to the findings, when combined, these small adjustments can lead to improved long-term health outcomes, ultimately prolonging life expectancy.
Dr Nicholas Koemel, who co-led the research, emphasised the value of focusing on multiple minor changes rather than attempting significant modifications to only one aspect of lifestyle, like diet or exercise. Smaller adjustments tend to be easier to maintain over the long term, providing sustained health benefits.
Koemel stated, “The findings suggest that focusing on combined small changes across multiple behaviours may offer a more powerful and sustainable strategy to improve health outcomes than targeting larger changes in an individual behaviour.” His insights highlight the effectiveness of incremental adaptations, which are generally easier for individuals to integrate into their everyday lives.
This sentiment was echoed by co-author Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, who noted that it requires more effort to reduce mortality through a single large behavioural change than through a combination of smaller changes. He pointed out that to realise a 10% reduction in mortality risk via singular behaviours, considerably larger increases are needed—such as 60% more sleep, 25% more physical activity, and diet modifications that alone do not achieve the desired effect.
The research utilised data from the UK Biobank, which tracked the health patterns of over 59,000 participants over an eight-year period. Participants monitored their sleep and physical activity using health trackers for seven days while also providing data on their diets.
In summary, making small yet strategic lifestyle adjustments can lead to significant health benefits. This study encourages Australians to embrace minor changes in sleep, exercise, and diet as a more effective path toward achieving better health and longer lives.