The science is in! Small healthy habits can help you live a longer, healthier life

The power of small changes

Almost half of our daily lives are controlled by our habits. From when we wake up to how we spend our evenings, our choices are actions that became habits over time. Like doom scrolling on social media or drinking coffee before going to bed. You know it affects your sleep, but you just can't stop.

Why do habits matter? Because even small tweaks to your lifestyle can have a profound effect on your physical health and mental wellbeing. For example:

• Taking 5,000 steps 3 or more times a week for 2 years can add 3 healthy years to your life. Plus, once you've reached this milestone habit, you're more likely to keep going.
• For people who never exercise, even a small change like taking 2,500 steps 4 times a week can add healthy years to their lives.
• People over 65 who exercise 3+ times a week can reduce their mortality risk by 52%.
• Plus, good habits lead to more good habits. People who exercise 3 or more times a week can improve their healthy eating habits by 10% and gain 1 month of extra sleep a year!

What's the most effective way to build lasting habits? By making small, consistent changes to your lifestyle every day to improve your habits over time.

How to form and sustain healthy habits

Think of your healthy habits journey as a ladder with 3 steps:

By following the habit ladder approach, you can break an unhealthy habit by consistently adding small, manageable changes over time. For example, if your job has you sitting for hours on end, you can break the habit by consistently walking a flight of stairs between projects or meetings.

Need help kickstarting your #HealthyHabits?

Our favourite habit is is reaching our weekly goals and playing the Vitality Active Rewards gameboard every Wednesday! In April, we want to help you in your quest to build your own #HealthyHabits, whether it's being more physically active, making healthier food choices or improving the quality of your sleep.

Make sure to follow us on our social media channels (Facebook , X & Instagram ). Keep an eye out every #VitalityRewardsWednesday this April to find out more and win big!

The Vitality Habit Index

We all have habits, but how do you make the good ones stick? That's the crux of The Vitality Habit Index, a new global study by Vitality and the London School of Economics.

Researchers studied the habits of 1 million Vitality members in South Africa and the United Kingdom over 10 years to understand how we make healthy habits and break unhealthy ones to help people live healthier lives.

The results show that small simple steps can become sustainable habits through consistency, commitment, and compounding. Plus, good habits, repeated over time, can change your health, your life, your community and society.

Find out more about the Vitality Habit Index to discover the science of habit formation.

Live life with Vitality