The old adage is true: Every little bit counts.
A new study highlighted by EatingWell suggests that small, manageable lifestyle tweaks — not extreme routines — may be enough to extend both lifespan and healthspan.
The January 2026 study, published in eClinical Medicine, followed more than 50,000 adults ages 40 to 69. Instead of relying only on surveys, participants wore wrist trackers — similar to a Fitbit or Apple Watch — to measure sleep and movement, while diet quality was assessed through detailed food questionnaires.
Researchers examined three pillars of well-being known as SPAN behaviors: sleep, physical activity and nutrition. By making modest improvements in all three at the same time, adults could potentially gain an extra year of life in as little as seven minutes a day.
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The most surprising finding: combining small habits was more powerful than perfecting just one. According to the researchers, adding as little as five minutes of sleep, two minutes of brisk activity and a small boost in daily fruit vegetable intake together had a measurable impact on longevity.
Larger changes offered even more benefit — but still in realistic amounts. The study found that modest increases across SPAN behaviors could add up to four additional years of healthy living.