Cutting back on sitting time by as little as 30 minutes a day could prevent thousands of premature deaths, according to new international research that highlights the powerful impact of small lifestyle changes.

The study, published in The Lancet, analyzed health and activity data from more than 150,000 adults in the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Sweden. Researchers found that replacing sedentary time with brief periods of physical activity—just five minutes a day—was associated with a meaningful reduction in mortality, particularly among people who are the least active.

Among the most sedentary participants, adding five minutes of moderate‑to‑vigorous movement each day was linked to a 6% reduction in deaths. When the same increase was applied across the broader population, the potential reduction rose to about 10%, the researchers reported.

The benefits were not limited to exercise alone. The study also found that sitting less mattered. Reducing daily sitting time by half an hour could prevent approximately 3% of deaths among the least active individuals, and up to 7% across the full study population.

Researchers used wearable devices to track movement, allowing for more accurate measurements than self‑reported activity. Lead author Ulf Ekelund of the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences said the findings show that even modest changes in daily routines could have significant public health benefits.
Health experts say the results are encouraging because they emphasize achievable goals. Instead of focusing solely on formal exercise, people may improve their long‑term health by breaking up long periods of sitting with short walks or other everyday movement.

Source: Medical News Today