Daily step counts and reaching at least 150 minutes a week of exercise — lots of exercise guidance focuses on hitting specific step, mile or time targets. But for many people, especially those who are least active, these goals can feel daunting and out of reach.

Can you commit to walk for five minutes daily? Instead of asking what happens when people meet ideal exercise benchmarks, researchers examined what might change if people made small, realistic shifts in how they move and how much time they spend sitting.