A new approach to exercise for cancer prevention
While the majority of middle-aged individuals don’t regularly partake in structured exercise, increasing their susceptibility to cancer, the dawn of wearable tech-like fitness trackers allows us to examine the profound impact of brief moments of Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity or VILPA on our health.
Strikingly, four to five minutes of VILPA, broken into one-minute bursts, has been associated with a cancer risk reduction of up to 18 percent. This reduction even rises to 32 percent for specific cancer types that have a direct correlation to physical activity.
Innovative research indicates that just 4.5 minutes of VILPA during day-to-day tasks could slash the risk of certain cancers by up to a third. This ground-breaking study, which was published in JAMA Oncology and led by the University of Sydney, harnessed wearable technology data to monitor the daily activity of more than 22,000 ‘non-exercisers’.
Over a period of close to seven years, the researchers monitored the health records of these participants for potential signs of cancer.
What is Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity (VILPA)?
Coined by researchers at the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre, Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity (VILPA) is a term used to depict the brief spurts of robust activity we participate in every day.
Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, the lead author from the Charles Perkins Centre, explains, “VILPA is a bit like applying the principles of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) to your everyday life.”
Daily activities to reduce cancer risk: These activities can range from intense house chores to lugging around heavy grocery bags, power walking, or even engaging in energetic games with children.
How effective is VILPA in cancer prevention?
In their study sample of 22,398 participants, who had an average age of 62 and did not exercise in their leisure time, they found;
- 2356 new cancer events (1084 linked to physical activity) over an average follow-up period of 6.7 years
- At least around 3.5 minutes of daily VILPA was linked to an 18 percent reduction in cancer occurrence (compared to no VILPA)
- 4.5 minutes of daily VILPA corresponded to a 32 percent decrease in physical activity-related cancer incidence
- The most significant reduction in cancer risk was seen in individuals who engaged in small amounts of VILPA as compared to those who did none, but benefits continued to accrue with higher levels of daily VILPA – particularly for physical activity-related cancers
- A significant majority of VILPA (92 percent) occurred in bouts lasting up to 1 minute.
The present study scrutinized the influence of VILPA on the overall incidence of cancer, as well as 13 specific cancer sites linked to physical activity. These include cancer types such as liver, lung, kidney, gastric cardia, endometrial, myeloid leukaemia, myeloma, colorectal, head and neck, bladder, breast, and esophageal adenocarcinoma.
The research utilized data from the UK Biobank Accelerometry Sub Study, including only ‘non-exercisers’ who reported no leisure time exercise or regular recreational walks. Participants who could have potentially skewed the results, such as those with a previous cancer diagnosis or diagnosis within a year of enrolment, were excluded. Other influences such as age, smoking status, BMI, cardiovascular disease, sleep, diet, and hereditary cancer risk were also considered.
VILPA was evaluated based on the participant’s activity levels as gauged by wrist accelerometers worn over 7 days at the study’s inception. This is in line with other wearable studies as physical activity levels remain relatively constant at the population level throughout adulthood.
New cancer events were documented via cancer registries, and hospitalizations or deaths attributable to cancer.
Can incidental physical activity lower my cancer risk?
While the study is observational and not designed to directly infer cause and effect, the researchers emphasize the strong correlation they observe. They reference previous early-stage trials showing that intermittent vigorous physical activity leads to quick improvements in cardio-respiratory fitness, which might provide a plausible biological rationale for reduced cancer risk. Other probable contributors include physical activity’s role in enhancing insulin sensitivity and alleviating chronic inflammation.
“We need to further investigate this link through robust trials, but it appears that VILPA may be a promising cost-free recommendation for lowering cancer risk in people who find structured exercise difficult or unappealing,” asserts Professor Stamatakis.
“We are just starting to glimpse the potential of wearable technology to track physical activity and understand how unexplored aspects of our lives affect our long-term health – the potential impact on cancer prevention and a host of other health outcomes is enormous,” Professor Stamatakis concludes.
Source: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2023.1830
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