New research indicates that even small increases in daily physical activity can meaningfully reduce mortality risk, especially among inactive people.
A large international study suggests people can gain measurable longevity benefits from as little as five minutes of daily exercise. According to a report from The Lancet, researchers analyzed wearable fitness data from more than 130,000 participants across multiple countries, finding even minimal activity improved lifespan indicators.
Researchers at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences said the greatest gains were among the least active individuals. A five-minute increase in daily moderate-to-vigorous activity was linked to preventing up to 6 percent of deaths in high-risk groups, rising to 10 percent when applied to the broader population.