"Can a '5-Minute Brisk Walk' Change Your Lifespan? The Reason Why 'Tiny Exercises' Work"

"Exercise for Health" Often Ends in Failure

The new year, health check results, and the "ideal morning routine" that flows through social media. Despite understanding it in our heads, why can't we maintain an exercise habit? The reason is simple: we aim for "perfection" from the start.

"150 minutes of exercise a week," "add strength training," "10,000 steps every day." It would be great if we could do it. But when days of not achieving it continue, self-loathing takes over, and we end up back at zero.

A study that sheds light on this common issue from the opposite perspective is gaining attention. The keyword is **"small and realistic."**

The study highlighted the smallest unit of "5 minutes of brisk walking"

One of the reported studies used large-scale data, including people with low levels of physical activity, to examine the impact of **"slightly increasing" moderate to vigorous physical activity.**

The "realistically excessive proposal" presented was this:

• Add 5 minutes of brisk walking a day

• Reduce sitting time by 30 minutes a day

That's it. No gym membership, no full set of workout gear, no grit needed. Just imagine inserting "5 minutes of brisk walking" into your commute or shopping route.

Moreover, the results are bigger than you might imagine. According to reports,for those with the lowest activity levels, just "adding 5 minutes" could reduce a certain percentage of mortality, anda reduction in mortality risk was also observed in the general population. Furthermore,reducing sitting time by 30 minutesalso showed an estimated reduction in mortality rates across a wide range of groups (though it was suggested that the impact might be smaller/different for those who are already very active).

The important thing here is not that "doing 5 minutes makes you immortal," but thatthe potential growth from "zero to a little more" is significant. In the world of exercise, surprisingly, the "first step" is the most effective.

Another Study: "A Little at a Time" Approach to Sleep, Exercise, and Diet

Another study doesn't focus solely on exercise. It explores the idea of what happens if you simultaneously make small improvements in **sleep, physical activity, and diet (especially vegetables).**

According to reports, participants in a large-scale UK dataset were tracked, and their mortality and the onset of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, dementia, etc., were analyzed during the follow-up period. It was shown that people with good lifestyle habits tend to have not only a longer lifespan but also a longer "healthy lifespan."

The key point of interest is here.

• Add 5 minutes to sleep per day

• Add about 2 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per day

• Add half a serving of vegetables

With this "total of a few minutes plus half a serving" set, it was reported thatthe lifespan of those with poor lifestyle habits could be extended by about a year. In other words, rather than striving to excel in one area,making small simultaneous improvements in all threemight be more effective.

Why "A Little More" Is Effective (A Sensible Understanding)

From here, let's break down how to interpret the research results.

The effects of exercise are often explained as not growing linearly, but rathera sharp drop in risk from "none to some," followed by a gradual decline. For those who don't move at all, even 5 minutes of brisk walking can be a stimulus that "raises the heart rate," "uses muscles," and "changes blood flow."

The same applies to sitting. The longer you sit, the more your body tends to stay in "energy-saving mode." Therefore, reducing it by even 30 minutes can first break that fixation.

And sleep and diet. Sleep is the foundation of recovery, and diet (vegetables) supports nutritional density and stability in physical condition. When these are combined, even small improvements can lead to a "more stable lifestyle."

The point is not dramatic change.
It's about increasing "adjustments that are hard to revert."

Implementation Example from Today: Embed "5 Minutes" into Your Life

The biggest reason for not continuing is not a lack of willpower, but a lack of design. Here are some ideas as "implementations."

5 Minutes of Brisk Walking (Any One of These is OK)

• Make only the last stretch to the station brisk walking

• Brisk walk around the building during lunch break

• Change to a "slightly farther" convenience store

• Take phone calls while standing and walking

Reduce Sitting Time by 30 Minutes (Doesn't Have to Be All at Once)

• Work for 25 minutes + stand for 5 minutes (aim for a total of 30 minutes)

• Rotate your ankles while waiting for the elevator

• Stand up after each video you watch

Add Half a Serving of Vegetables (Minimize the Hurdle)

• Just add "cut vegetables + dressing" to your usual meal

• Add frozen vegetables to miso soup

• Opt for a "small salad" when eating out

Add 5 Minutes to Sleep (No Major Overhaul)

• Design to go to bed 5 minutes earlier rather than delaying the alarm

• Put down your smartphone "just once" before bed (complete prohibition often fails)

You don't have to do everything.Just start with one thing. Once you experience success, you'll make more adjustments.

Reactions on Social Media: "I Can Do That" vs. "Still Impossible"

This topic leans more towards "minimal effort" than "effort glorification," so the tone on social media is unique. Here, as a generalization of posts (not quoting specific posts), common reactions are summarized.

1) Optimists: "If it's 5 minutes, I can do it"

• "I can't do the gym, but I can do 5 minutes starting today"

• "10,000 steps is discouraging, but 5 minutes is realistic"

• "I finally realized that 'not zero' is important"

2) Realists: "Can't Reduce Sitting Time"

• "Reducing 30 minutes in desk work is actually difficult"

• "Guaranteed to be sitting during meetings and commuting"

• "Need a system to stand up in between rather than reducing"

3) Skeptics: "I Understand the Correlation, but What About Causation?"

• "Isn't it just that healthy people can walk?"

• "Isn't it exaggerated that 5 minutes makes such a difference?"

• "In the end, it's about overall lifestyle habits"

4) Innovators: "Continue with Measurement and Gamification"

• "Walk for just 5 minutes with a smart watch notification"

• "Take a longer route when changing trains"

• "Count housework as brisk walking"

What's interesting about social media is that even when opinions are divided, many people ultimately land on the topic of **"how to keep it going."**

Conclusion: "Returnable Improvement" Over "Perfect Health"

What this study suggests is not "you're not trying hard enough." On the contrary, it's closer to a message of **"you don't have to try too hard."**

• Don't aim for the ideal all at once

• Turn zero into one

• Embed 5 minutes into your life

• Increase the days you can do it

Health is not an event but a practice.
That's whysmall improvements might be the strongest.

※ This article provides general information, and those with chronic conditions or exercise restrictions should prioritize advice from medical professionals.

References

• WHO (Physical Activity Recommendations)
  
  https://www.who.int/initiatives/behealthy/physical-activity

• Karolinska Institutet News Release (Introduction of Study Published in The Lancet)
  
  https://news.ki.se/five-extra-minutes-of-movement-a-day-can-save-lives-study-in-the-lancet-finds