Being active makes a big difference for your health, but it doesn’t take long runs or hard-core gym sessions to lower your risk of cancer. According to a large new study from the University of Oxford in England, light-intensity activities and casual walking can actually reduce your risk of 13 types of cancer. And it finds that the more you move, the lower your risk.
Researchers followed more than 85-thousand participants with an average age of 63 who wore fitness trackers for an average of six years. During the six-year follow-up period, 3% of them developed cancer, but those who walked more helped protect themselves.
- People who took 7-thousand steps a day had an 11% lower cancer risk than those who only got 5-thousand daily steps.
- At 9-thousand steps, the risk dropped down to 16%.
- The number of steps taken was more important than the pace they walked them, the study finds.
- And it doesn’t have to be power walking, even shopping and doing household chores counts.
- After adjusting for lifestyle factors, BMI and other health conditions, participants with the most daily physical activity were 26% less likely to develop cancer than those with the least activity.
"Our research highlights the importance of all forms of movement," explains senior study author Aiden Doherty. "Whether it’s 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."⠀
Source: Fox News⠀