Daily physical activity, even at low intensity, is associated with a lower risk of cancer
March 26, 2025
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Press release
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
An NIH study finds that the number of steps taken daily may be more important for cancer risk than the intensity of the activity.
What
In a prospective cohort study of more than 85,000 adults in the United Kingdom, researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the University of Oxford found that people who engaged in daily light and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity had a lower risk of cancer than more sedentary individuals. The findings, published March 26, 2025, in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, are among the first to evaluate the reduction in cancer risk associated with light-intensity activities such as shopping and doing household chores.
Previous studies have shown an inverse association between physical activity and cancer risk, but most of these studies relied on self-reported questionnaires, which may not accurately capture the intensity of different activities. Previous studies that used objective measures focused on higher-intensity physical activity. In this new study, led by researchers at the NIH's National Cancer Institute, participants in the UK Biobank study (median age: 63) wore wrist accelerometers that measured their total daily activity, intensity, and daily step count for one week. The researchers then examined the relationship between daily averages and the incidence of 13 types of cancer, including breast and colorectal cancer, previously associated with physical activity.
After an average follow-up of 5.8 years, 2,633 participants were diagnosed with one of these 13 types of cancer. Those who performed the highest amount of daily physical activity had a 261% lower risk of cancer than those who performed the lowest. The researchers also studied the impact of replacing daily sedentary time with light and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and found that this change was associated with a reduced cancer risk. The associations between physical activity and cancer risk held even after adjusting for demographic factors, lifestyle, body mass index (BMI), and other health conditions.
A higher daily step count, but not step rate (step intensity), was also associated with a lower cancer risk. Compared with the cancer risk for people taking 5,000 steps per day, the cancer risk was 11% lower for those taking 7,000 steps per day and 16% lower for those taking 9,000 steps per day. Beyond 9,000 steps, the risk reduction plateaued. The researchers suggested that less physically active people could reduce their cancer risk by incorporating more walking, at any pace, into their daily routine.
Who
Alaina Shreves, MS, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, and Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford
Reference
"Quantity and intensity of total daily physical activity, step counts, and incident cancer risk in the UK Biobank" appears on March 26, 2025 in British Journal of Sports Medicine.
About the National Cancer Institute (NCI): The NCI leads the National Cancer Program and the NIH's efforts to significantly reduce the prevalence of cancer and improve the lives of people with cancer. The NCI supports a wide range of external cancer research and training through grants and contracts. The NCI's Intramural Research Program conducts innovative, transdisciplinary basic, translational, clinical, and epidemiological research on cancer causes, prevention, risk prediction, early detection, and treatment, including research at the NIH Clinical Center, the world's largest research hospital. Learn more about the intramural research conducted by the NCI Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics. For more information about cancer, please visit the NCI website at cancer.gov or call the NCI Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): The NIH, the nation's medical research agency, comprises 27 institutes and centers and is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, the NIH investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for common and rare diseases. For more information about the NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
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