A recent study published in BMC Medicine has found that short bursts of vigorous movement can lower the risk of several cancers. The study analyzed activity data from 59,218 men and women who were part of the UK Biobank. Participants wore activity trackers for a week, allowing researchers to measure how much time they spent sitting, standing, and engaging in light, moderate, or vigorous activity.
The researchers examined the participants' medical records over roughly eight years, looking at 13 cancers that have been associated with physical inactivity. They used statistical models to estimate what could happen if participants replaced some of their usual sitting time with different types and intensities of physical activity. The study found that standing was associated with lower cancer risk compared with remaining seated, but movement appeared to have a stronger association.
According to the study, light activity was associated with greater benefits than standing, while vigorous movement showed the strongest association. The study found that about three minutes of vigorous activity was associated with a similar reduction in cancer risk as about 90 minutes of light-intensity movement. Vigorous activity in the study included movements that substantially increased breathing and heart rate, such as rushing up stairs or running to catch public transport.
Riya Shah, a cancer specialist physiotherapist at Performance Medicine Kenya, says the findings reinforce a broader message about the importance of movement throughout the day. "Regular movement is one of the most important modifiable lifestyle factors we can influence across the cancer continuum, from prevention, through treatment and recovery, and into survivorship," she says. Shah emphasizes that people often think of exercise as something that has to happen in a gym or as a structured workout, yet the body benefits from movement throughout the day.
Shah suggests that people should look at how they can interrupt long periods of sitting, rather than solely finding time for a workout before or after work. Her suggestions include standing up and walking around for a couple of minutes every 30 to 60 minutes, walking to speak to a colleague instead of sending a message where practical, taking the stairs, walking while making a phone call, getting up to refill a water bottle, and having walking meetings where possible.
The idea of vigorous movement can be less complicated than it sounds, Shah says. It does not necessarily require a gym, running track, or exercise equipment. Climbing several flights of stairs, walking quickly uphill, carrying heavy shopping, cycling quickly, or running to catch a matatu can potentially qualify, depending on how hard the activity makes a person work. Shah cautions that exercise doesn't have to look like exercise.
While the study found an association between physical activity and cancer risk, it did not prove that short bursts of vigorous movement directly prevented cancer. Shah says the finding should be viewed as an encouraging message for people who currently do little physical activity. "If you currently do very little activity, small amounts of purposeful movement can still matter," she says.
Key points
- Replacing sedentary time with physical activity, particularly short bursts of vigorous movement, is associated with a lower risk of several cancers.
- Three minutes of vigorous activity was associated with a similar reduction in cancer risk as about 90 minutes of light-intensity movement.
- Movement can be accumulated throughout the day, from the journey to work and the office stairs to household tasks and short bursts of faster activity.
