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Researchers found that light to moderate daily activity—like walking about 9,000 steps—can lower the risk of more than 10 types of cancer.
However, a team from Oxford noted that most previous studies relied on self-reported activity, which can misrepresent actual intensity, according to The Independent. Those studies also emphasized high-intensity workouts more than lighter activities when it came to cancer prevention.
What Did the Researchers Discover?
In this new study, scientists objectively assessed health data from over 85,000 U.K. residents, with an average age of 63. This data was collected using accelerometers worn on the participants’ wrists. The team was particularly interested in metrics such as overall daily activity, activity intensity, and daily step count.
The researchers compared the average daily values for these metrics with diagnoses of 13 cancers, including breast and colorectal cancer.
After five years, one of the 13 cancers developed in about 2,600 participants. “During the observation period, cancer was diagnosed in 2,633 out of 85,394 participants,” the scientists reported.
People with the highest daily activity intensity had a 26 percent lower risk of developing cancer than those with the lowest-intensity activity.
Professor Aiden Doherty, a co-author of the study, said, “Our research emphasizes the importance of all forms of movement. Whether it’s increasing daily steps, adding light activity, or doing moderate to high-intensity exercise, any level of physical activity helps reduce cancer risk.”
The team also found cancer risk was lowest among people who walked about 9,000 steps a day, compared with those who walked about 5,000 steps.
The reduced risk persisted after adjusting for demographic factors, lifestyle, body mass index, and overall health.
The findings indicated that people with sedentary lifestyles could lower their cancer risk by increasing their daily walking, regardless of pace.
The study was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
