Even a minimal increase in physical activity — just five minutes a day — can significantly reduce the risk of premature death. This is the conclusion reached by the authors of a large-scale study published in The Lancet.

The research was conducted by an international team of scientists led by specialists from the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. The researchers analyzed data from wearable devices of more than 130,000 people from several countries to understand how small changes in daily activity are linked to life expectancy.

The authors focused on two groups: the so-called high-risk group — the 20% least active participants — and a broader population that included everyone except the most active 20%. The calculations showed that an additional five minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity per day could potentially prevent up to 6% of all deaths in the high-risk group and up to 10% at the population level. Reducing sitting time by 30 minutes a day also lowered the risk of death, though to a lesser extent.

The most pronounced effect was observed among people who moved the least and spent most of their day sitting. For them, even small changes — a short walk, taking the stairs, or a few minutes of active movement — provided the greatest potential health benefits.

“We see that even small and realistic changes in activity levels can bring tangible benefits, especially for the least active people,” the authors noted.

At the same time, WHO recommendations remain unchanged — at least 150 minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity per week. However, the new study shows that the path toward these goals can begin with very small steps.

Follow NEWS.am Medicine on Facebook and Twitter