Bursts That Beat Cancer

We’re talking about short “bursts” of physical activity, and it doesn’t take many of these bursts throughout the day to reduce your risk of experiencing the dreaded “C” word: cancer. In fact, it might take less than five minutes a day to reduce your cancer risk dramatically. Let’s see what exciting new research suggests when it comes to avoiding cancer with the power of physical activity.

Up to 32% – that’s the risk reduction associated with doing 4.5 minutes of vigorous activity throughout your day. Researchers came to this conclusion after analyzing data from wearable devices, which study participants used to track daily activity performed by “non-exercisers”: people who generally don’t do much in the way of physical activity.

“Vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity” (VILPA), a term that describes short, vigorous bursts of activity we do throughout the day (think housework, bringing in groceries from the car, wrestling with your kids, etc.), was associated with a major reduction (32%) in cancer risk compared to people who didn’t do any VILPA. Even doing a little less activity (3.5 minutes per day) still had a benefit: an 18% reduction in cancer incidence during the seven-year study period. Findings appear in JAMA Oncology, an American Medical Association journal devoted to cancer research.

Keep in mind that in the study, almost all (92%) of the VILPA occurred in bursts of one minute or less. If you think about it, you’re probably doing at least that much without even realizing it. If you aren’t, it won’t be that challenging to start; remember, it’s lifestyle activity – the kind you should be doing every day anyway! Talk to your doctor for more information on ways to incorporate more cancer-preventing activities into your daily routine.