You can’t do a thing about the genes you inherit from your parents, but doctors have stressed for decades that there are certain lifestyle tweaks you can make to help lower your risk of developing cancer. Now, there’s another hack to add to the mix, which can have a pretty significant impact on your overall health in addition to its beneficial effects on lowering cancer risk.
New findings published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that light movement throughout your day can drop your odds of developing cancer by more than 25 percent. Here’s exactly what the study found, plus why cancer specialists say the new study is on to something.
Meet the experts: Roberto M. Benzo, PhD, behavioral scientist at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center; Amy Bremner, MD, medical director of breast surgical oncology at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA; Jack Jacoub, MD, medical director of MemorialCare Cancer Institute at Orange Coast and Saddleback Medical Centers in Orange County, CA
What did the study find?
For the study, researchers analyzed data from 85,000 adults in the U.K. who wore wrist accelerometers that tracked their daily activity, activity intensity, and daily step count over a week. The researchers also looked at the relationship between the daily averages and how likely the participants were to develop 13 types of cancer that are linked with physical activity.
After about six years, 2,633 people in the study had been diagnosed with one of those 13 types of cancer. But the researchers discovered that people with the highest amount of daily physical activity had a 26 percent lower risk of developing cancer than those who had the lowest amount of physical activity.
People with higher daily step counts also had a lower risk of cancer, regardless of how fast they moved while being physically active. Those who took 7,000 steps a day had an 11 percent lower cancer risk compared to people who took 5,000 steps, while people who took 9,000 steps daily had a 16 percent lower risk. (After 9,000 steps, the risk decrease leveled off.)
What kind of exercise were people doing?
The researchers didn’t spell out what type of exercise the participants did. Instead, they looked at how intensely and how much participants moved on a daily basis.
The researchers found that people who did light- and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity every day had a lower risk of developing cancer compared to those who were more sedentary. But a range of movements can fall into that category, from walking and doing daily chores, to going for runs and doing HIIT workouts.
The researchers also suggest that people who aren’t that physically active can lower their cancer risk by incorporating more walking into their day, at any pace. “What’s especially promising is that this benefit wasn’t limited to intense exercise,” says Roberto M. Benzo, PhD, behavioral scientist at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center.
How much of this exercise do you need to do per day to lower your cancer risk?
Any amount of physical activity is better than none, says Jack Jacoub, MD, medical director of MemorialCare Cancer Institute at Orange Coast and Saddleback Medical Centers in Orange County, CA. “There is a link with movement and a lowered risk of inflammation in the body,” he says. (Inflammation is tied to a slew of serious health conditions, including cancer.)
“Regular movement also enhances the immune system, helping to improve the body’s ability to detect and destroy abnormal cells,” says Amy Bremner, MD, medical director of breast surgical oncology at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA.
But, if you’d prefer to have a step count goal to reach for, the study found that logging 9,000 steps a day was best for cancer prevention.
What are the best ways to lower cancer risk?
Doctors say it’s really important to consider what’s in your control when it comes to cancer risk. “You can’t control your genes, but some lifestyle factors will reduce your risk,” Dr. Jacoub says.
He recommends these lifestyle moves to tamp down on your risk of developing cancer:
Be active on a daily basis.
Eat a diet that’s lower in red meat and high in antioxidant-rich foods.
Don’t smoke or stop smoking.
Limit how much alcohol you drink.
Try to limit your levels of stress.
Stay socially connected to others.
But Dr. Jacoub says that staying physically active is “unquestionably” important in lowering your cancer risk. And Benzo agrees.
“Every movement counts,” he says. “Even light, consistent activity—especially when it replaces sitting—can meaningfully reduce your cancer risk.”
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