Incorporating even a small amount of physical activity into daily life offers long-term health benefits. While I sometimes struggle to get out for a morning walk, I make the effort because I understand how beneficial it is for me. Conversations with recent researchers have revealed that exercise positively impacts not only our bodies but also the brain, memory, and overall well-being. It’s not necessary to engage only in intense workouts; a new study shows that even small bouts of exercise can significantly influence health and longevity. Daily activities as brief as five minutes—such as slow walking, cycling, or climbing stairs—could prevent one in ten premature deaths and extend millions of lives.
However, the study does not imply that just five minutes of exercise guarantees complete health. Even a little activity is far better and more practical than none, and minor physical movement still improves overall health. For those already active and fit, an additional five minutes yields modest benefits, but for less active individuals, the gains can be substantial. “Physical activity greatly helps reduce high stress and fatigue,” explains Nicole Logan, Assistant Professor of Kinesiology at the University of Rhode Island. “We understand that physical activity, muscle strength and quality, and bone robustness are indicators of longevity and healthy living.”
The study included 150,000 adults from the UK, the US, and Scandinavia. “Just five minutes of daily short physical activity makes a major difference in premature mortality,” said Alf Eklund, Professor at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. He has demonstrated the significant health benefits of five minutes of exercise at the population level. While adults are recommended by the World Health Organization to exercise 150 minutes weekly, this research highlights that even those unable to attend gyms or engage in sports benefit from five minutes of daily exercise.
Reducing inactivity proved beneficial too. Cutting sedentary time by 30 minutes daily reduced premature death risk by 7% on average. Physical inactivity is a risk factor for chronic disease and early mortality. Eklund emphasized the importance of consistency. “Start small to build your health and gradually increase,” he advised.
The study further shows that short-term exercise leads to lasting health advantages, so adding small bursts of physical activity in daily life can have a major impact without huge lifestyle changes. Stretching exercises that target muscles are also advantageous. A US study found that people born in the 1960s and 1970s who combined aerobic exercise with stretching had lower mortality rates.
Another study showed that brief, regular exercise sessions, known as “exercise snacking,” improve cardiovascular health. Extensive research on adults has underlined its effectiveness. Many people have adopted this practice, with 82% maintaining the habit, given its simplicity. For those unable to visit gyms, exercise snacking at any time of day is feasible. Activities like dancing to music in the kitchen or brisk stair climbing elevate heart rate beneficially.
Mary Murphy, Professor of Exercise and Health at Ulster University in the UK, explains that small exercises stimulate the body’s metabolism. “Even after stopping exercise, our metabolism remains elevated for some time.” Growing awareness about the benefits of exercise snacking has elicited positive responses from the public. Minor adjustments can lead to significant change. For instance, signage encouraging stair use instead of escalators or elevators has successfully motivated many.
Amanda Daley, Professor at Loughborough University, UK, emphasizes that small changes can have lasting meaningful impacts. “Sometimes we do things without thinking, and those become habits,” she notes. “You take stairs because you’ve formed that habit.” Daley suggests parking five minutes farther from destinations as a simple way to reduce sedentary behavior, which can also aid exercise in the short term. A small-scale study with colleagues observed this habit being repeated frequently, helping to make regular exercise more manageable over the long term.
