Small Amounts of Vigorous Physical Activity and Lower Cancer Risk

A UK Biobank Accelerometry Study demonstrated that short periods of vigorous activity, such as simply climbing a flight of stairs, may be enough to lower their risk of cancer. Unlike previous studies that investigate the impact of vigorous physical activity (VPA) compared with lower intensities on cancer, the current study examines the impact of vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA) on the incidence of cancer. VILPA refers to brief and sporadic bouts of VPA during daily living, such as bursts of very fast walking or stair climbing. This study is one of the first lines of research to specifically address VILPA with cancer incidence.

The study assessed data on non-exercisers from the UK Biobank wrist accelerometry sub-study. These data tracked individuals’ physical activity via wearable wrist trackers. The researchers assessed the participants' exercise bursts of up to one or two minutes. Cancer incidence was defined as cancer registration, hospitalization for cancer, or death attributed to any cancer. The researchers followed up with participants for any cancer registrations. Overall, the researchers measured dose-response associations of device-measured daily VILPA duration with incidence of cancer to estimate the minimum VILPA amounts for cancer risk reduction.

The researchers found that a minimum dose of 3.4 to 3.6 minutes of VILPA per day was associated with a 17% to 18% reduction in total incident cancer risk compared with no VILPA. These findings suggest that 3 to 4 minutes of VILPA per day may be associated with decreased cancer incidence risk. VILPA may also be a promising intervention for cancer prevention among individuals unable or unmotivated to exercise in leisure time.