Best exercises to reduce cancer risk: Even light daily activity can keep you healthy, says study

How to prevent cancer: According to the study results, both light and moderate-to-vigorous daily activity, like walking, cleaning, or climbing stairs—were linked to lower risk of cancers including breast and colorectal cancer (Image: Canva)

Do you think only intense workouts are the key to staying healthy? Think again. Just tidying your house or walking to the nearby store might be doing more for your body than you realise. A new study finds that even light daily activity, like casual walking or even doing daily chores, can help reduce your risk of cancer.

It is often assumed that preventing major health issues like cancer requires strenuous exercise or strict routines. However, according to a large study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the University of Oxford, it was found that those who stayed active, even through simple daily movements, had a much lower risk of developing cancer.

The study included more than 85,000 adults in the UK and revealed that even light-intensity physical activity, such as doing household chores, played a big role in lowering cancer risk. Compared to those who were more sedentary, participants with the highest levels of activity had a 26 percent reduced risk of developing cancer.

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Light movement and cancer prevention:

The data showed that both light and moderate-to-vigorous daily activity, like walking, cleaning, or climbing stairs—were linked to lower risk of cancers including breast and colorectal cancer.

Replacing even small amounts of sedentary time with movement helped reduce risk. Interestingly, walking more, regardless of pace, also contributed to better outcomes. People who took 7,000 steps per day had an 11 percent lower cancer risk, and those who took 9,000 steps had a 16 percent lower risk, compared to those walking only 5,000 steps. After 9,000 steps, benefits remained but didn’t increase significantly.

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Here are small ways to move more each day:

• Take the stairs: Take the stairs instead of the elevator whenever possible. Climbing two flights during lunch break can make a big difference over time.

• Do household chores with energy:  Doing vacuuming, mopping, or gardening can be useful. Sweeping your home for 20 minutes helps you stay active without stepping outside.

• Go for short walks after meals: Take a walk, even if it’s just around your building or neighborhood. A 10-minute walk after dinner can help digestion and increase your step count.

• Stretch or pace while on phone calls: Walk and talk. Turn daily calls into active minutes by pacing in your room.

• Break long sitting sessions: Break them with quick movement breaks every hour. Set an hourly reminder to walk around or do a few jumping jacks.