For those looking to bolster their heart health, the most effective prescription might be surprisingly modest: just 11 more minutes of sleep each night. That small adjustment, alongside a handful of extra minutes of brisk walking and a slightly larger portion of vegetables, can collectively reduce a person’s risk of suffering a major cardiovascular event by around 10%, according to new research.
The study, published in the European Society of Cardiology’s European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, underscores a powerful public health message: minor, sustainable tweaks to daily life are not only more achievable than major overhauls but can yield significant protective benefits. Alongside the extra sleep, researchers found that adding just 4.5 minutes of brisk walking and roughly 50g more vegetables to one’s day formed a “clinically relevant” combination for lowering risk.
The Power of Small, Combined Shifts
Lead author Dr Nicholas Koemel, a research fellow and Integrative Behavioural Scientist at the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre, explained the philosophy. “We show that combining small changes in a few areas of our lives can have a surprisingly large positive impact on our cardiovascular health,” he said. “Making even modest shifts in our daily routines is likely to have cardiovascular benefits as well as create opportunities for further changes in the long run.”
This approach aligns with related research by Dr Koemel suggesting such combined tweaks can also extend lifespan. His work indicates that an extra five minutes of sleep, two minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity, and half a serving of vegetables per day could lead to an additional year of life for those with poor habits. Achieving more substantial targets—7-8 hours of sleep, over 40 minutes of activity, and a healthy diet—was associated with over nine extra years of lifespan.
The study analysed data from more than 53,000 middle-aged UK adults who are part of the ongoing UK Biobank study, a vast research resource recruiting over 500,000 people aged 40-69 between 2006 and 2010. The researchers used wearable technology like smartwatches to objectively monitor sleep and exercise, while dietary habits were self-reported. Over an average eight-year follow-up period, 2,034 major cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and strokes, were recorded.
From ‘Optimal’ to ‘Achievable’
From this data, the team identified both an ideal lifestyle combination and more immediately attainable adjustments. The “optimal” combination, linked to a dramatic 57% lower risk of cardiovascular events, consists of a good diet, eight to nine hours of sleep nightly, and a minimum of 42 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day.
For many, however, beginning with smaller increments is key. The NHS defines moderate activity as anything that raises your heart rate and breathing, but where you can still hold a conversation—such as brisk walking, dancing, or cycling. Vigorous activity, which makes it hard to speak more than a few words, includes running, swimming, or skipping.
Senior author Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, a professor of physical activity and population health at the University of Sydney and Monash University, has conducted influential research into practical forms of exercise. His work on Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity (VILPA), or “exercise snacking,” has shown that very short bursts of vigorous activity—as little as 3.5 to 4.5 minutes per day spread across daily tasks—can reduce cancer risk. However, for cardiovascular health specifically, his research indicates that longer, continuous bouts of walking, around 10-15 minutes, are more beneficial than the same number of steps taken sporadically.
Emily McGrath, a senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, welcomed the study’s emphasis on achievable change. “Many of us want to live healthier lives, but making changes can sometimes feel overwhelming or hard to fit into our busy routines,” she said. “What’s encouraging about this study is that it shows those changes don’t need to be big to make a difference.”
The research team now plans to build on these findings by developing new digital tools to help people implement and sustain these small positive changes. Professor Stamatakis stated this work would involve collaborating with community members to ensure the tools are easy to use and address common barriers.
It is worth noting the context of the UK Biobank data, which the study acknowledges may include a “healthy volunteer bias.” Participants, who were 54% female and overwhelmingly (94.6%) of white ethnicity, are on average slightly wealthier and healthier than the wider UK population at the time of recruitment. Nevertheless, the scale and depth of the Biobank, alongside the objective data from wearables, provide a robust foundation for the findings.
With wearable technology now used by 46% of UK adults to monitor their health, according to the British Heart Foundation, the research highlights how the data from our devices could guide us toward simpler, more sustainable paths to better heart health.
