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For 2026, many of us likely set resolutions to improve our health and fitness levels.

But before you go wild joining every workout class you can squeeze into your schedule, it might interest you to know there’s an easy and completely free way to reduce your risk of premature death.

A new study, led by a team of scientists from the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, has claimed that taking a short walk every day could actually help you live longer, reducing your risk of prematurely dying before the age of 75. 

The findings, published in The Lancet, show that making ‘small and realistic’ increases in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MPVA) could help prevent a ‘meaningful’ proportion of premature deaths. 

For those unaware, MPVA is any exercise that significantly raises your heart rate and breathing – this can include brisk walking, riding a bike, water aerobics, dancing, rollerblading, and tennis.

How long you need to walk for each day, according to the research

The study estimates that walking for just five minutes per day could help reduce the risk of early death by 10% for most of the general population, while walking for 10 minutes could cut the risk by 15%.

But this figure is different for the ‘least active’ people among us, as for them, a five-minute walk could reduce the risk by just 6%. 

If you aren’t able to get out and about for a brisk walk, simply getting up and moving about your home, doing housework, for instance, could also make a difference.

The findings also claimed that reducing the amount of time you are sedentary (sitting and inactive) by 30 minutes each day could help to prevent around 4.5% of deaths. 

The study analysed data from 135,000 people (predominantly aged in their 50s and 60s) from the UK, Norway, the US, and Sweden. Participants used pedometers to keep track of activity and sedentary levels throughout.

Death rates over an eight-year period were also examined in order to produce the findings, and the proportions of deaths prevented were estimated based on changes seen in the least active participants and all other participants. 

Dr Brendon Stubbs, of King’s College London, told The Times that this study ‘offers hope’ for those who don’t do much exercise.

‘This finding serves as an inspiring public health message: even small daily tweaks to activity levels can make a meaningful difference, for instance, a quick brisk walk, climbing a few extra flights of stairs, or playing energetically with the grandkids.’

However, he added that the study was ‘observational,’ so it is unable to prove causation, and randomised controlled trials would be needed to confirm if these lifestyle changes directly reduce deaths.

This comes after a longevity doctor spoke to Metro about ‘simple’ ways to add years to your life.

Dr Mohammed Enayat, a former GP who founded HUM2N, recommends starting your day barefoot in nature in order to regulate your body’s circadian rhythm.

‘We’re generally too much in the fight or flight response or the sympathetic nervous system, so everything that we can do to help improve our parasympathetic nervous system, which is our healing response, is going to help us for the long term,’ he explains.

‘Too much of the stress response causes that causes metabolic issues, diabetes, obesity, inflammation, cardiovascular disease and can even increase cancer risk as well.’ He also advised optimising your sleep, and getting regular health checks such as routine NHS blood tests, faecal and urine screenings, cervical smear tests, breast screening and the 40-year-old checkup.

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Queen Mary of Denmark just made businesswear cool with a £3k Bottega Veneta handbag as she visited the Heart Association.

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Zara Tindall looked stunning in a crisp white shirt as she modelled jewellery for the brand Calleija, where Mike Tindall’s wife has created the Zara Tindall Collection. Princess Anne’s daughter looked just like the late Princess Diana, who famously wore a white shirt and gold jewellery in a Vogue photoshoot.

Whether it’s racing thoughts that keep me up all night or a brain that wakes up with three songs in my head at once, I’ve never been a great sleeper.

Everything started to make sense after I was diagnosed with ADHD aged 23 in 2021. There was a reason I was constantly buzzing, and more susceptible to feeling exhausted than my peers.

Now, I have very specific conditions for sleep: reading and magnesium before bed, three hours of screen-free time and a sunset alarm clock, topped off with an eyemask and earplugs playing white noise. 

My self-invented diva routine does help to quieten my busy brain, but there are still times when I’m plagued by insomnia, tossing and turning for hours (sometimes all night) while my boyfriend sleeps peacefully next to me.

So, wanting to start 2026 more rested, I asked Dr Tamsin Lewis for an alternative tip for a better night’s kip. I was looking for something unobvious – and the advice I received certainly delivered. 

I have always been repulsed by the idea of wearing socks, not just in bed, but whenever I’m not wearing shoes. If I’m in the house, you’d best believe I’m wandering around with my bare feet. I’m blaming it on my neurodiversity, but I hate the sensation of wearing them.

So, when Dr Tamsin Lewis suggested that I wear socks in bed, I was, initially, reluctant. That was, until I understood that there was science behind it. 

I have always been repulsed by the idea of wearing socks, not just in bed, but whenever I’m not wearing shoes. If I’m in the house, then you’d best believe that I’m wandering around with my bare feet. I’m blaming it on my neurodiversity, but I hate the sensation of wearing them. I want to be free.

So, when Dr Tamsin Lewis suggested that I go bold and wear socks in bed to help me get to sleep, I was, initially, reluctant. I can barely wear a jumper in bed (just plain old pyjamas for me, thank you), let alone full-on nylons.

As Dr Tamsin tells Metro, there’s solid physiology backing up the socks in bed theory.

Does wearing socks to bed actually help you get to sleep any faster?

Dr Tamsin tells Metro there’s solid physiology backing up the socks in bed theory.

‘Warming your feet increases blood flow to the extremities, which helps your core body temperature drop. That drop is one of the main triggers for sleep onset,’ she explains.

‘People fall asleep faster when there’s a bigger temperature difference between their core and hands/feet. Socks help create that difference.’

To put it simply: when our feet are warm, the brain gets its ‘safe to sleep now’ memo sooner

‘I’ve had patients shave 30–40 minutes off sleep onset just by doing this,’ Dr Tamsin claims.

According to one 2018 study, sock wearers managed an extra 32 minutes of sleep and improved their rest by 7.6% overall, compared to their counterparts who went with nude toes. It’s also common practice in countries like South Korea, as well as footbaths and heating pads, as an alternative method to warming those tootsies.

So, putting Dr Tamsin’s theory to the test, I decided to start off strong with a colourful pair of fluffy (and glittery) socks given to me by a friend.

My week of sock-wearing

Pulling them on at the same time as my pyjamas, I tried to fight off the urge to yank them off and throw them into my laundry basket. Things got worse once I put the duvet over my covered feet. I felt claustrophobic, icky, and way too warm to even attempt sleep.

The first night, I was convinced the disruption to my usual routine actually deterred me from drifting off. All I could think was: ‘I can’t sleep with these socks on. They need to go.’

But after a few nights’ worth of exposure therapy, I began to relent, even warming to the idea of feeling cosy, like my feet were wrapped up in a blanket specifically designed to whisk me away to counting sheep.

I tried it out for a week in total, and I finished the experiment not hating it as much as I thought I would, but without a noticeable difference to my overall amount or quality of sleep.

Aside from the limited success, there’s an annoying side effect to this habit: you get a load more washing. It goes without saying that, come the evening, I’d swap out the socks I’d been wearing all day for a fresh pair, because no one wants slightly sweaty, slightly smelly socks contaminating their fresh linen.

For me, this technique was just about bearable during a week of frosty UK temperatures, but I can’t imagine trying it during a summer heatwave. For now, I’ll be keeping my socks firmly off in bed, but the next time I struggle with a bout of insomnia, at least I know there’s another option in my drawer for a potential sense of relief.

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These days, a truly good night’s sleep feels like a bit of a luxury. The place where we rest our heads (and bodies) each night should offer comfort and support — not leave us waking up with new aches and pains.

That’s why investing in a mattress that quite literally has your back is so important.

Recently, I invested in the REM-Fit Hybrid Pocket 1000 Mattress, and the difference was instant.

My husband and I had been sleeping on the same mattress for six years – a hybrid of memory foam and springs – but years of wear had taken their toll. A mattress topper became non-negotiable, unless you fancied being woken by creaking springs or bounced awake every time the other person shifted during the night.

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The first thing we noticed about the REM-Fit Hybrid Pocket 1000 Mattress was the perfect balance between soft and supportive. You sink in just enough to feel cocooned, while still being gently lifted and levelled – making movement easy and comfortable. Its clever hybrid design combines pocket springs with foam to evenly distribute pressure and support healthy alignment, something you can genuinely feel as it moulds to your body shape.

Almost immediately, I noticed a difference in how my body was supported throughout the night. The persistent back pain I’d grown used to began to ease, and instead of waking up stiff and achy, I found myself getting out of bed feeling lighter and more refreshed. Even if, on these dark mornings, the temptation to stay tucked in is still very real.

Another major win is motion reduction, and thankfully, the REM-Fit delivers. Previously, any movement from one of us would ripple across the mattress, waking the other. Now, we both sleep undisturbed, even when one of us turns over. It’s made a noticeable difference to the quality of our sleep, meaning peaceful nights are now the norm rather than the exception.

As someone who tends to sleep warm, temperature control was also high on my wish list. Thanks to the breathable Re-Ax thermo-regulating, hypoallergenic cover, body temperature stays comfortably balanced, no fan required. It’s also machine washable, making it easy to keep fresh and clean, which is always a bonus.

Another thing we both noticed straight away was how surprisingly lightweight it is compared to other mattresses. Delivery, unpacking and fitting it onto the bed frame was straightforward – and if you ever need to move or adjust it, you won’t be left feeling like you’ve done a full workout.

So, if you’ve been waiting for a sign to finally say goodbye to your tired, past-its-best mattress, this is it. Trust us, upgrading

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