- People who did 5 hours and 45 minutes of moderate exercise a day benefited
- Experts say this is achievable if women walk to work or take walks.
Gardening and regular walks may lower your risk of developing breast cancer, experts say.
A study found that light physical activity, including housework and cooking, was associated with a 21% reduction in the likelihood of contracting the disease.
Women who exercised moderately for 5 hours and 45 minutes a day benefited from reduced risk.
Experts say even those with jobs can easily achieve this if they walk to work, take a walk during their lunch break, and do household chores and other activities in the evening.
A quarter of the 48,000 women surveyed completed this level of light exercise in one day.
Participants were asked to live with the fitness tracker on for one week.
They were then contacted an average of five and a half years later, during which time 836 women were diagnosed with breast cancer.
Women who did the lightest exercise were 21% less likely to get breast cancer than those who did the least amount of exercise, less than 4.5 hours a day.
The results, published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, are unusual in that they show that light activity that doesn’t cause sweating or shortness of breath may prevent breast cancer.
Dr. Carlos Celis Morales, lead author, University of Glasgow, said:
Dr Julie Sharp, Head of Health and Patient Information at Cancer Research UK, said:
“There is also evidence that getting lots of exercise can directly prevent breast cancer.
“The NHS recommends 150 minutes of activity per week, but it’s okay to increase your activity over time.
“Any exercise is better than nothing, and the more you do, the better.
“Whether it’s going for a brisk walk or a bike ride with friends, or doing household chores.
“It’s important to warm up, exhale a little, and get your heart beating faster.”
