Add a Year to Life: 7 Minutes to Wellbeing

A new health strategy, highlighted by a gastroenterologist, proposes a simple seven-minute daily routine that could extend life expectancy. Known as the '5+2 rule,' it advocates for minimal daily commitments in sleep and exercise.

A January 2026 study involving 59,000 participants, published as 'Minimum combined sleep, physical activity, and nutrition variations associated with lifeSPAN and healthSPAN improvements,' explored the impact of these factors.

The research tracked sleep, physical activity, and diet quality using wearable accelerometers. It found that modest, concurrent improvements in these areas were associated with significant gains in both lifespan and healthspan.

Optimizing all three—achieving 7-8 hours of sleep, 42 minutes of daily exercise, and a high-quality diet—was linked to nearly a decade of additional life and healthspan.

However, the study emphasized that small, consistent improvements across all three domains are more effective than drastic changes in just one area. This highlights a pragmatic approach for public health interventions.

The findings suggest that incorporating an extra five minutes of sleep, a two-minute walk, and more greens can contribute to a longer, healthier life.