Daily light-to-moderate physical activity, such as pacing 9,000 steps every day, can cut the risk of over 10 different types of cancers, scientists find in a new study.
A growing body of studies has found that exercise and physical activity lower the risk of cancer.
However, researchers say many of these studies relied on self-reported data that may not accurately reflect the intensity of physical activity.
Previous studies have also focused mainly on the cancer-preventing benefits of higher-intensity physical activity, and not as much on lighter exercise.
In the new study, researchers from the University of Oxford objectively assessed the health data of over 85,000 adults in the UK collected from the wrist accelerometers of the participants.
The collected data included total daily activity, activity intensity, and daily step count over one week, according to the research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Scientists then compared the daily averages of these data with the incidence of 13 cancer types, including breast and colorectal cancer.
About 2,600 of the participants were found to have developed one of the 13 cancers on follow-up after an average of about 5 years.
“Among 85,394 participants – median age 63 – 2633 were diagnosed with cancer during follow-up,” scientists wrote.
Those with the highest total amount of daily physical activity had a 26 per cent lower risk of developing cancer compared to those with the lowest.
“Compared with individuals in the lowest quintile of total physical activity, those in the highest had a 26 per cent lower cancer risk,” researchers wrote.
“Our research highlights the importance of all forms of movement. Whether it is increasing daily steps, engaging in light activity, or incorporating moderate-to-vigorous exercise – any level of physical activity appears to contribute to lower cancer risk,” said study co-author Aiden Doherty.
Compared with those taking 5,000 steps per day, cancer risk was found to be lower for those taking 7,000 steps per day and relatively even lower for those taking 9,000 steps per day, the study noted.
“Daily step counts were inversely associated with cancer, with the dose-response beginning to plateau at around 9,000 steps/day,” researchers wrote.
“There was no significant association between stepping intensity (peak 30-minute cadence) and cancer after adjusting for step count,” they said.
This risk reduction remained even after adjusting for demographic factors, lifestyle factors, body mass index (BMI), and other health conditions, they say.
The findings suggest sedentary individuals may lower their cancer risk by incorporating more walking, at any pace, into their daily routine.
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