Short, Vigorous Physical Activity: A New Way to Reduce Cancer Risk for People Who Do Not Exercise

Rapid technological advances and robots replacing human labour mean that many people now work while sitting. Computers have become integral to work, while people also spend considerable time in front of screens at home. This is worrying for those who lack the time or motivation to move or exercise during the day.

Physical activity, among the most important factors in reducing cancer risk and improving treatment outcomes after a cancer diagnosis, need not be limited to regular exercise. Brief, vigorous activities in everyday life may also reduce cancer risk. This study examines the effect of vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity on cancer incidence among adults who do not exercise regularly. Its findings may offer reassurance to people constrained by a sedentary lifestyle.

Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity and Cancer Incidence in Adults Who Do Not Exercise

Study Details: UK Biobank Accelerometry Study provided data for an analysis published on 27 July 2023 in   JAMA Oncology. It found that vigorous intermittent activities, such as very brisk walking or climbing stairs, involving 1-2 minutes of movement, reduced cancer risk among adults who did not exercise.

The study included 22,398 people and measured daily vigorous intermittent activity using wrist-worn accelerometers, or activity sensors. It examined total incidence across 13 cancer types associated with low physical activity and, in detail, cancers directly associated with physical activity.

Key Findings:

• Average follow-up was 6.7 years, and participants had an average age of 62.0 years.
• 92.3% of vigorous intermittent physical activity occurred in bouts lasting up to 1 minute.
• 6.2% of the population did no vigorous intermittent physical activity.
• There were 2,356 cancer cases overall, including 1,084 physical activity-related cancers.
• Vigorous intermittent activity was associated with significantly lower risks of total cancer and physical activity-related cancer. This is expressed using a statistical measure called the hazard ratio (HR), which compares how quickly an event, here cancer, occurs in one group relative to another. For example, the total cancer HR = 0.80 in this study means that the group undertaking vigorous intermittent activity had a 20% lower cancer risk than the group that did not (95% confidence interval = 0.69–0.92).
• Similarly, HR = 0.69 for physical activity-related cancer means that those undertaking this activity had a 31% lower risk than those who did not (95% confidence interval = 0.55–0.86).

In conclusion, this study suggests that daily vigorous intermittent physical activity may be a promising intervention to reduce cancer risk in people who are unwilling or unable to exercise during their leisure time.

The findings show that, in relation to cancer, brief, vigorous activities woven into daily life matter alongside regular exercise. This could make approaches to reducing cancer risk more accessible and practical, helping a wider population adopt a healthy lifestyle.