The secret to a longer, healthier life may be as simple as staying under the covers a little longer.
A study led by Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis at the University of Sydney shows that just 15 minutes of extra sleep a night, along with small changes in physical activity and nutrition, can reduce the risk of early death by 10%.
The research, which included 60,000 people over a period of eight years, analyzed three main factors: sleep, physical activity, and diet quality – known as the SPAN framework.
Main results
Just 5.5 hours of sleep, about 7 minutes of exercise per day and a diet with low nutritional value (36.9 out of 100) increase the risk of mortality.
15 minutes of extra sleep, 1.6 minutes more physical activity, and half an extra serving of vegetables per day (or one less serving of processed meat per week) reduce the risk by 10%.
The benefits are even greater if you sleep 75 minutes more per day, exercise 12.5 minutes at a moderate or vigorous level, and improve your diet by 25 points — this reduces the risk of death by 50%.
Recommended exercises include swimming, running, brisk walking, cycling, dancing, or even doubles tennis.
Even dietary changes are simple
Half a serving of vegetables could be half a tomato, a head of broccoli, or a spoonful of spinach.
Limiting processed meats such as salami, smoked sausage, bacon, or sausages brings immediate benefits.
“We want to lower the threshold for participation,” says Prof. Stamatakis. “Small, achievable changes can make big differences in life expectancy.”
Dr. Nicholas Koemel, co-author of the study, adds that it all depends on the combined power of small changes, which, taken together, help lead to a longer and healthier life. /GazetaExpress/
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