Diet, Exercise, and Sleep Can Extend Life, New Study Finds

According to a recent study, minor adjustments in diet, exercise, and sleep can lead to an increase of about a year in lifespan when practiced together. More significant changes could potentially add over nine years to one’s life.

By integrating modifications in diet, sleep, and exercise, individuals could also enhance their “health span,” which refers to the duration a person may live without major health issues.

Nick Koemel, the study’s lead author and a research fellow at the University of Sydney, remarked that these results emphasize the value of looking at lifestyle choices as an interconnected whole rather than as separate elements.

He elaborated in an email, “By addressing small enhancements across various behaviors simultaneously, the necessary change for any single behavior diminishes, making it easier to tackle the typical hurdles of sustaining behavioral changes.”

However, Kevin McConway, an emeritus professor of applied statistics at the Open University in the UK, raised some concerns about the study. He noted that the use of complex statistical methods made it unclear how much the results depended on the researchers’ analytical choices versus clearer data trends.

Utilizing scientific modeling, Koemel and his team discovered that just five extra minutes of sleep, two minutes of moderate to vigorous activity, and an additional half cup of vegetables daily might extend life by one year. But this prediction was primarily for individuals with very poor diets, less than six hours of sleep, and minimal exercise. Realistically, significant lifestyle improvements were needed for the benefits to become statistically meaningful.

Koemel emphasized, “All reported gains in this study are theoretical. We can’t claim direct causality from lifestyle patterns. These results should be viewed as expected benefits based on assumed behavioral changes rather than direct outcomes from an intervention.”

The most significant potential for longevity—around 9.35 years—occurred with an addition of 42 to 103 minutes of physical activity and getting between seven to eight hours of sleep, along with a very healthy diet rich in fish, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Dr. Andrew Freeman, a preventive cardiologist at National Jewish Health in Denver, noted that exercise contributed the most to longevity, which wasn’t surprising to him. He emphasized that exercising for just two minutes isn’t the goal; rather, individuals should aspire to engage in 20 to 30 minutes of vigorous activity every day.

The study, published in eClinicalMedicine, analyzed nearly 60,000 participants from the UK Biobank, who were followed for about eight years. Each participant shared insights into their diets, including the intake of ultraprocessed foods, and some wore devices to accurately measure movement and sleep.

Researchers used this data to theorize scenarios for increased longevity and health span, defining the latter as the years lived free from major health conditions like cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Koemel pointed out, however, that extending life and health span aren’t synonymous. He noted, “Improvements in sleep, diet, and exercise were linked to longer lifetimes, even if individuals later developed chronic issues.”

After factoring in various variables such as ultraprocessed foods, drinking habits, body mass index, and sleep patterns, the findings varied significantly based on the extent of behavior changes made.

For those with lower levels of exercise—less than 23 minutes a day—along with sleeping seven to eight hours and maintaining a healthy diet, the study suggested an association with nearly four additional years of life. Moderate exercise—around 23 to 42 minutes daily—combined with good sleep and diet could correlate with an extra seven years of life and just over six years of health.

Freeman noted that it’s not just about counting minutes of exercise or sleep; it’s about ensuring that all daily activities promote health. He encouraged reflecting on one’s lifestyle at this time of year and making meaningful changes to enhance long-term wellness.