The study, published today in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, is among the first to evaluate how lower cancer risk is associated with light intensity activities such as casual walking, shopping and performing household chores.
The researchers used data from 85,394 UK Biobank participants (median age of 63) to examine how different activity levels might influence the risk of cancer. The participants wore wrist-based activity trackers that tracked total daily activity, activity intensity, and daily step count over a period of one week. The researchers then looked at the relationship between the daily averages and future cancer diagnoses in 2,633 participants over an average follow-up period of 5.8 years.
Key findings
- Individuals with the highest total amount of daily physical activity had a 26% lower risk of developing cancer than individuals who had the lowest amount of daily physical activity.
- Light-intensity and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were associated with lower cancer risk, reinforcing the potential benefits of even light daily movement.
- Higher daily step counts, but not the pace of the steps, were associated with lower risk of cancer, with risk appearing to plateau at approximately 9,000 steps per day.
Read the full story on the Nuffield Department of Population Health website.