Moving Fast for Just 3 Minutes a Day Can Lower Your Risk of Cancer, According to Study

Chris Malone Méndez
·2 min read
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It turns out that running to catch a train or bus could have long-term benefits for your health. A new study published in JAMA Oncology found a surprising link between short bursts of intense exercise and the risk of developing cancer.

Researchers examined activity tracker data from more than 22,000 men and women to draw the connection. They found that people who moved fast for at least 3 minutes a day were approximately 30 percent less likely to die of many types of cancer, compared to those who almost always leisurely strolled from point A to point B—regardless of whether or not they exercised otherwise.

The team refers to these acts of rushing up the stairs or running to catch a train as Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity, or "VILPA."

Led by Emmanuel Stamatakis, a professor of physical activity, lifestyle and population health at the University of Sydney in Australia, the group gathered the activity tracker records for middle-aged and older people who said they never exercised. They then used AI to analyze the data and learn when the subjects experienced VILPA in their daily lives. After examining medical records for cancer diagnoses in the subsequent seven years, they were able to determine that VILPA had a correlation to a reduced risk of cancer.

Related: New Study Challenges '10,000 Steps a Day' Advice for Health

As it turns out, just a few seconds of VILPA a day can have a big impact. "The minimum needed to see some risk reduction was well under one minute a day," Stamatakis told The Washington Post.

The research should come as welcome news to the majority of adults who don't work out. "Our study’s findings are especially pertinent to people who are not keen on leisure-time exercise, which is the majority of the adult population," Stamatakis continued. "For them, our study suggests that doing a few short bursts of intense exercise as the day goes by may be beneficial."

“The take-home message is that moving more at a higher intensity during everyday living may be a good alternative to structured exercise, and may reduce cancer risk in the long term," he added.

Perhaps being perpetually late and in a rush is actually a good thing.