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Just one to two minutes of vigorous exercise a day may lower cancer risk, according to a new study.
This activity includes power walkingclimbing stairs, doing strenuous household chores, play with childrenaccording to Emmanuel Stamatakis, Ph.D., lead author of the study published Thursday in the journal. JAMA Oncology.
This report is based on data from over 22,000 people from the UK Biobank. Biobanks are large biomedical databases and research resources that track residents over time.
The study found that participants reported not exercising regularly during their leisure time and wore accelerometers to track their VILPA (vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity).
“Until recently, we knew very little about the intense and intense activities that are part of everyday life,” said Professor of Physical Activity, Lifestyle and Population Health at the Charles Perkins Center and University of Sydney. said Stamatakis of the School of Medicine and Health. Email in Australia.
Adult incorporating about 4.5 The study found that a few minutes of vigorous exercise within a one- or two-minute bout reduced the incidence of cancer by more than 30%.
Dana Santas, CNN fitness contributor and mind-body coach for professional athletes, understands the health impacts of strenuous activity in everyday life, as it may be easier for many to cope. said it was important.
“The vast majority of middle-aged and older people, more than 70-80% in most countries, do not exercise regularly in their spare time or have never exercised,” Stamatakis said in an email.
He added that people who exercise regularly in their spare time don’t need to switch to these short periods of exercise. Instead, the outcome opens up more options.
“The principle here is that the best physical activity plan is one that everyone can incorporate into their weekly or daily routine,” Stamatakis said.
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Add a short workout, such as climbing stairs, and you can incorporate it into your daily exercise routine.
Because this was an observational study, the researchers could only prove that brief periods of physical activity were associated with lower cancer incidence, suggesting that exercise reduces the direct cause of cancer. We haven’t been able to prove that, said Dr. Glenn Gaither, a professor of exercise physiology at the University of California, College of Health Solutions. Arizona State University. Gaither was not involved in the study.
However, there are some indications as to why the two might be related.
“Before early stage testing We have shown that VILPA leads to rapid improvement in cardiopulmonary function. “ Stamatakis said in an email. “Weak cardiopulmonary function has the following effects: insulin resistance and chronic inflammationboth are big risks cancer factors”
These lifestyle exercises aren’t a replacement for a good exercise program, but they can be beneficial for those who don’t like exercise.
First, Stamatakis said VILPA doesn’t require the financial or time burden of using exercise equipment or going to a facility.
“Studies are providing new insights into what a healthy movement profile looks like, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be just spending an hour in the gym each day,” says New York City’s says Keith Diaz, Ph.D., assistant professor of behavioral medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Diaz was not involved in the study.
Second, it robs you of your main excuse for not exercising.
“The most common reason for not exercising is ‘not enough time’. But who is too busy to spend a minute or two during the day?” Gasser said in an email.
If you’re so short of breath that you don’t want to talk, you know you’re exercising hard, Santa said.
That could mean jogging, squatting, climbing or doing walking lunges in place, the Santas said.
A short time slot might be less intimidating than signing up for a 30-minute spin class, but if you’re looking for a way to consistently incorporate exercise into your routine, Santa recommends building a habit. Recommended.
Try adding an exercise routine on top of what you already have in your life, she said.
For example, Santa could do 20 push-ups, wall sit, squat while brushing your teeth.
“Many of us have an electric toothbrush with a two-minute timer,” she said. “Now I do it every day, preferably twice a day.”
Santa adds that although such exercises are familiar, they are likely to come back again because they feel emotional.
“You can see how a minute goes by so quickly. It’s not scary, it’s easy, and you feel like, ‘I can do it,’ and you start feeling healthy right away,” she said. . “You’re doing it consistently, so you’ll be proud of yourself.”
