Researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the University of Oxford have identified a link between daily physical activity, regardless of intensity, and a reduced risk of cancer. The study involved over 85,000 adults in the United Kingdom and was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine on March 26, 2025.
The investigation focused on light- to moderate-to-vigorous-intensity activities. It found that those who were more active had a lower cancer risk compared to sedentary individuals. This research is one of the first to consider light-intensity activities like household chores in relation to cancer prevention.
Unlike previous studies relying on self-reported data, this study used wrist accelerometers to objectively measure participants' total daily activity and step count. These measurements were then correlated with incidences of 13 types of cancer, including breast and colorectal cancer.
After an average follow-up period of nearly six years, findings showed that participants with higher overall physical activity levels had a 26% reduced risk of developing cancer. Shifting time from sedentary behavior to light or more intense physical activity was linked to further decreased cancer risks.
The study also highlighted that a higher daily step count contributed significantly to lowering cancer risk. For example, taking 7,000 steps per day resulted in an 11% reduction in cancer risk compared to taking 5,000 steps per day. A further reduction was observed at 9,000 steps per day but plateaued beyond this number.
Alaina Shreves from the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics at NIH commented on these findings: “Amount and intensity of dail total physical activity, step count and risk of incident cancer in the UK Biobank” appears March 26, 2025, in British Journal of Sports Medicine."
The National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of NIH, leads efforts to reduce cancer prevalence through research and training initiatives. For more information about NCI's work or about NIH's medical research programs generally, interested parties are encouraged to visit their respective websites.
