The study's methodology included tracking participants' total daily activity, intensity, and step count over one week, offering a comprehensive view of their physical activity.

A recent study led by scientists from the National Institutes of Health and the University of Oxford reveals that engaging in daily light-to-moderate physical activity, such as walking 9,000 steps, can lower the risk of over ten types of cancer by 26%.

The research involved analyzing health data from more than 85,000 adults in the UK, who wore wrist accelerometers to objectively measure their daily activity levels over an average follow-up period of 5.8 years.

During this follow-up, approximately 2,600 participants were diagnosed with one of 13 cancers, including breast and colorectal cancer.

Participants who walked more had a significantly lower cancer risk, with 5,000 daily steps identified as a baseline for these findings.

Dr. Melinda Irwin explains that exercise may lower cancer risk through improvements in inflammation, metabolism, and immune function, further supporting the study's conclusions.

The study specifically focused on light- and moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activities, highlighting the importance of overall activity volume rather than exercise intensity.

These findings challenge the common belief that high-intensity workouts are necessary for health benefits, suggesting instead that everyday movement is crucial for cancer prevention.

Moreover, replacing sedentary time with light- or moderate-to-vigorous activity was linked to reduced cancer risks, independent of various demographic and lifestyle factors.

Notably, adjustments for demographic factors, lifestyle, BMI, and other health conditions did not alter the observed risk reduction.

Participants in the study had a median age of 63, providing a diverse range of insights into the impact of physical activity on cancer risk.

Although the short duration of the tracking may be seen as a limitation, the results align with other large-scale studies, reinforcing the idea that even small increases in daily movement can yield significant long-term health benefits.