Vida sana / Alimentación
New study: 9,000 steps a day reduces the risk of 13 cancers
Mayo
A recent University of Oxford study followed 85,000 people wearing health trackable devices for six years. Here are some results:
- Walking 5,000 steps/day reduced the risk of cancer by 11%.
- Walking 7,000 steps/day reduced the risk of cancer by 16%.
- After 9,000 steps, the risk reduction plateaued.
- The pace of the walking did not affect these results.
The American Cancer Society says physical activity can help regulate some hormones that contribute to the development of cancer and help keep the immune system healthy. Regular exercise is associated with a lower risk of breast, prostate, colon, endometrium, and possibly pancreatic cancer.
The University of Oxford study looked at oesophageal, liver, lung, kidney, gastric, endometrial, myeloid leukemia, myeloma, colon, head and neck, rectal, bladder, and breast cancers. After six years, approximately 3 percent of participants developed one of those cancers.
I have talked about this topic before, but let me reiterate: there is nothing special about walking in itself. Here is why step-counting is so popular:
- Walking is movement, and movement is highly beneficial.
- Steps are easily measurable. What can be measured can be tracked. What is tracked can be improved.
If you don’t like steps, find another way to move. But just remember: a big key to better health is just to move regularly and move more.
