How Many One Steps Is Needed To Reduce The Risk Of Cancer?

Illustration of walking (Photo: Freepik/Aleksandr Kirillov)

JAKARTA - In the midst of a modern lifestyle that is getting more and more sitting and minimal movement, the risk of developing serious diseases such as cancer is increasing. However, recent research shows that simple actions such as walking every day can be an important key in reducing the risk of cancer.

Reporting from The Independent page, a major study from the University of Oxford involving more than 85 thousand people in the UK revealed that the more steps taken every day, the lower the risk of you being exposed to up to 13 different types of cancer.

In this study, participants wore activity tracking tools for years. The results are very clear, moving more every day, even just by walking having a significant impact on health.

Research shows the benefits of cancer protection begin to be felt at around 5,000 steps per day. Below these numbers, the impact is relatively small.

But when a person reaches 7,000 steps per day, the risk of cancer drops by about 11 percent. When it reaches 9,000 steps, the risk decline increases by 16 percent.

Interestingly, after passing the 9,000-step figure, the additional benefits began to decline. This means that there is no need to pursue 15 thousand steps just for the sake of preventing cancer. Simply in the range of 7,00010,000 steps per day has provided quite good protection.

This study also examines the speed of walking. Initially, the fast road did appear to provide greater protection. However, when all daily physical activity is calculated, the number of steps is more important than speed. So, relaxing walks are still useful, as long as you move quite a lot in a day.

More leg steps are attributed to reduced risk of various cancers, especially:

- Stomach cancer

- bladder cancer

- Heart cancer

- Endometrium cancer

- Lung cancer

- Head and neck cancer

In men, colon cancer, rectum, and lungs are the most common. While in women, the most common are breast cancer, colon, endometrium, and lung cancer.

No need to take thousands of steps at once. You can share it in small activities throughout the day, for example:

- Up the stairs instead of taking the elevator

- Walk for a while after eating

- Walked while calling

- Parking a little further from the destination

- Walk around the house during work break

By walking for about 40 minutes per day or about 4,0007,000 steps, you can already start building healthy habits that help protect the body from cancer.

Although the relationship between physical activity and cancer is still being studied, the message from this study is clear, which is moving more every day, although just walking can help reduce the risk of cancer in real terms.