Small Changes for Big Health Gains
Science-based New Year's resolutions for meaningful health results
As we step into the new year, many of us are setting ambitious resolutions for better health. But what if I told you that small, manageable changes have a bigger effect on well-being? Science increasingly shows that small, sustainable habits, rather than drastic overhauls, are the key to long-term health.
Let’s take a look at the research. As always, individual studies must be interpreted in the context of wider evidence - all of the studies below are well supported.
Slight diet adjustments yield big results
Takeaway: Replacing just 10% of daily calories from processed foods with whole food alternatives adds an additional 48 minutes of healthy lifespan per day.
Dietary adjustments don’t have to be extreme to make a difference. A study published in Nature Food analysed the epidemiological evidence for over 5,800 foods, and revealed that even small changes to dietary composition significantly impact our quality of life. The title of the study says it all: Small targeted dietary changes can yield substantial gains for human health and the environment.1
Key Results
Replacing 10% of our daily intake (around 190 calories) from processed foods with whole food alternatives resulted in a 48-minute gain in healthy lifespan per day, and a 14% reduction in mortality from all causes.
This same 10% dietary change led to a 33% reduction in the dietary carbon footprint.
Foods like fresh fish with tomatoes add up to 82 minutes of healthy lifespan per serving, while frankfurter sandwiches and hotdogs cost 36 minutes per serving.
Moderate exercise goals are enough
Takeaway: Just 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week (such as brisk walking) gains almost maximal results, and reduces the risk of premature death by up to 25%. Doing additional exercise doesn’t add much extra benefit, though it isn’t harmful either.
Consistent physical activity is one of the most effective ways to increase quality of life. In a recent study published in Circulation, Lee et al. analysed data collected from 116,221 adults over 30 years. Participants regularly reported their leisure-time activities, and researchers looked at how these activities affected the risk of dying (from any cause), heart-related problems, and other health issues.2
It’s worth noting that certain forms of exercise, such as strength training, have been shown to offer specific health benefits beyond the scope of this particular study.
The analysis used the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, which recommend:
150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity per week (brisk walking, gardening); or
75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity per week (running, aerobics); or
A mix of both, where one minute of vigorous activity is equivalent to two minutes of moderate activity.
Key Results
Meeting the activity guidelines: Doing the recommended amount of moderate activity reduced the risk of mortality by 19–25%, while the recommended amount of vigorous activity reduced this risk by 15–31%, with even stronger protection against heart-related mortality.
Exceeding the activity guidelines: Doing additional moderate activity only lowered the risk of mortality by another 3%, and additional vigorous activity added a 2–4% risk reduction.
Greatly exceeding the guidelines: Exceeding twice the amount of recommended activity didn’t provide any extra benefit, but wasn’t harmful either.
Moderate vs vigorous activity: For those who met the moderate activity recommendation, adding vigorous activity didn’t provide extra benefits. For those who didn’t do enough moderate activity per week, adding vigorous activity reduced their mortality risk.
Sleep: The underrated resolution
Takeaway: Poor sleep is overwhelmingly associated with the new onset of a plethora of chronic health conditions, including high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, obesity, and heart failure.
If there’s one resolution you shouldn’t overlook, it’s sleep. Nature Medicine published a fantastic study this year which used Fitbit to track the real-world sleep data of 67,850 people for up to 6.5 years. Researchers also tracked participants’ health metrics.3
Key Results
Sleeping too little (<6 hours) or too much (>10 hours) is strongly associated with an increased likelihood of developing certain conditions:
High blood pressure: Sleeping 5 hours per night was linked to a 29% increased risk of developing hypertension, while sleeping 10 hours was linked to a 61% increase.
Depression: Sleeping 5 hours was linked to a 64% increased risk of new onset depression, and 10 hours to a 163% increase.
Anxiety: Sleeping 5 hours was linked to a 46% increased risk of developing anxiety, and 10 hours to a 130% increase.
Heart failure: Increased REM sleep was linked to a 49% reduced risk of heart failure, whereas increased light sleep was linked to a 130% higher risk.
Going to bed at the same time each night matters. Irregular sleep patterns were strongly associated with:
75% higher likelihood of developing major depressive disorder;
55% higher likelihood of developing generalised anxiety disorder;
49% higher likelihood of developing obesity;
39% higher likelihood of high cholesterol;
127% higher likelihood of bipolar disorder;
60% higher likelihood of migraines.
Small mindfulness goals go a long way
Takeaway: Even short mindfulness sessions, ranging from just 5-20 minutes in length, can improve our mental and physical well-being.
Mental health often takes a backseat in New Year’s resolutions, but brief mindfulness interventions are a practical, low-commitment way to improve well-being. A large systematic review analysed data from 85 smaller studies involving 7,837 participants, most of whom were healthy adults under 30 years old, to understand whether short mindfulness sessions affect health. Participants completed a diverse range of general mindfulness practices, such as breathing exercises and body scans.4
Key Results
Improved attention & focus: Participants showed a 20–25% increase in sustained attention after a brief mindfulness exercise.
Improved emotional regulation: A single mindfulness session reduced negative affect (e.g., feelings of sadness or anger) by up to 15%, depending on the task.
Reduced cravings: Brief mindfulness exercises like ‘urge-surfing’ reduced the intensity of cravings, such as nicotine cravings, by around 20%.
Reduced anxiety: Researchers found a 14% reduction in self-reported anxiety after a single 10 minute session.
Improved stress resilience: Brief mindfulness sessions reduced cortisol levels (a stress hormone) and improved self-reported stress scores. Heart rate and blood pressure during stress-inducing tasks were also reduced.
A healthier 2025
This new year, remember: meaningful health changes don’t require monumental effort. Small, science-backed shifts in our daily routines can have a major effect on overall health.
Instead of vowing to do intense exercise every day, walking for 30 minutes five times per week gives 97% of the same benefits as going beyond the activity guidelines. This goal is realistic, trackable, and far more likely to stick.
What are your 2025 resolutions? Let me know in the comments, and let’s go on this health journey together. Here’s to a happy, healthy new year!
Stylianou, K. S., Fulgoni, V. L. & Jolliet, O. Small targeted dietary changes can yield substantial gains for human health and the environment. Nature Food 2, 616–627 (2021).
Lee, D. H. et al. Long-Term Leisure-Time physical activity intensity and All-Cause and Cause-Specific mortality: a prospective cohort of US adults. Circulation 146, 523–534 (2022).
Zheng, N. S. et al. Sleep patterns and risk of chronic disease as measured by long-term monitoring with commercial wearable devices in the All of Us Research Program. Nature Medicine 30, 2648–2656 (2024).
Howarth, A., Smith, J. G., Perkins-Porras, L. & Ussher, M. Effects of Brief Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Health-Related Outcomes: a Systematic Review. Mindfulness 10, 1957–1968 (2019).