4-5 minutes of vigorous physical activity can reduce cancer risks, says new research

A new study has revealed that just 4-5 minutes of vigorous exercise that makes people huff and puff daily can reduce the risks of cancers by upto 32 per cent.

The study published in the journal JAMA Oncology derived the conclusion on the basis of data from wearable devices to track the activity of more than 22,000 "non-exercisers," PTI news agency reported.

Researchers at Australia's Univesity of Sydneyfollowed the group's critical health records for close to several years to monitor cancer risks. They found that up to 4-5 minutes of vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity or VIPLA daily was linked with a substantially lower risk of cancer as compared to those who don't follow VIPLA.

These exercises include vigorous housework like carrying heavy objects or playing.

In the sample of22,398 peoplewith an average age of 62 who did not exercise in their leisure time, the researchers found 2,356 new cancer events.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), physical activity can reduce the risks of 13 cancer types. The organisation recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity activity or at least 75 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity activity.

Emmanuel Stamatakis, the lead author of the study, said that adults who don't exercise have been found to develop some type of cancer.

"We know the majority of middle-aged people don't regularly exercise which puts them at increased cancer risk but it is only through the advent of wearable technology like activity trackers that we are able to look at the impact of short bursts of incidental physical activity done as part of daily living."

The researchers added that the study is observational, meaning it is not designed to directly explore cause and effect. Nevertheless, they saw a strong link and refer to previous early-stage trials showing that vigorous activity leads to rapid improvement in health and cardio-respiratory fitness.

Stamatakis added, "We need to further investigate this link through robust trials, but it appears that VILPA may be a promising cost-free recommendation for lowering cancer risk in people who find structured exercise difficult or unappealing."

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE