New research has shown that by practicing both regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight are more effective at reducing the risk of cancer than either practice alone. The new study, funded by the World Cancer Research Fund, involved over 315,000 participants, and is the first to study the combined impact of these habits on cancer prevention.
The study compared individuals who met World Health Organisation guidelines for both exercise levels and waist circumference (less than 88cm for women and 102cm for men) against those who did not. WHO’s guidelines for exercise are 150 to 300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise, 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise, or an equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous-intensity activity.
Moderate exercise includes brisk walking, cycling, or badminton. Vigorous exercise includes hiking, jogging, basketball, or tennis. During an average follow up of 11 years, almost 30,000 people in the study developed cancer.
Researchers found those who failed to meet the WHO guideline on waist circumference had an 11% increased cancer risk, despite meeting exercise guidelines. Similarly, those who met the guidelines for exercise had a 4% increased risk of cancer, even if they waist met WHO’s requirements.
Those who failed to stick to either guideline increased their risk of cancer by 15%. The team of researchers wrote in the British Journal of Sports Medicine: “Adherence to both WHO guidelines for waist circumference and physical activity is essential for cancer prevention; meeting just one of these guidelines is insufficient.”
Dr Helen Croker, assistant director of research and policy at the World Cancer Research Fund, said: “These findings underscore the importance of a holistic lifestyle approach instead of focusing on a single factor to reduce cancer risk. Maintaining a healthy weight and, in particular, having a waist circumference within the recommended level and being physically active, along with eating a healthy diet, are all crucial steps to reduce cancer risk.
“People can start by making small, sustainable changes like incorporating regular movement into daily routines or choosing healthier food options. These gradual adjustments can add up to a big difference over time.”
The research comes after Cancer Research UK has said it and its partners are committing £10 million to create new tools using AI and analytics to improve early cancer detection and prevention. The charity said doctors could soon be able to predict the chances of an individual getting cancer and offer personalised help, thanks to the five-year Cancer Data-Driven Detection programme.
If successful, those identified as higher risk could be sent for cancer testing more quickly. The programme aims to access and link data from health records, genomics, family history, and demographics to develop advanced statistical models that help scientists accurately predict who is most likely to get cancer.