This Mindless Habit Is Linked With An Increase In Cancer Risk – And You Are Likely Guilty Of It

Our desk jobs, TV bingeing and endless scrolling on the sofa all have one thing in common – they promote sedentary behaviour, or low-energy movement that centres on sitting, reclining or lying down.

Modern day society encourages lots of sitting. According to Centers for Disease Control data, roughly 25% of American adults are physically inactive, meaning they don’t get any movement outside of work.

It’s well-known that sitting all day can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and lead to decreased muscle mass, but new research out of the United Kingdom found that sedentary lifestyles are also tied to a higher risk of cancer and cancer-related death.

The recent study, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, looked at the relationship between prolonged sitting and the risk of cancer and the risk of death from cancer. Researchers found that people who broke up their sitting with movement or exercise had a lower chance of cancer-related death.

Specifically, those who broke up sedentary time with an hour or more of light intensity physical activity, such as walking at a slow speed or doing a chore like washing dishes (yes, chores count as movement too!), had a 12% reduced risk of cancer-related death.

Those who replaced 30 minutes of sedentary time with moderate physical activity (like walking at a moderate pace of 3 to 4 miles per hour) had an 8% reduced rate of cancer-related death, and folks who replaced just five minutes of sedentary time with vigorous exercise (such as brisk walking) had a 22% lower rate of cancer-related death. 

“Just get up. That is the main message there,” Dr. Heidi Prather, the founder and medical director of the Hospital for Special Surgery’s Lifestyle Medicine Program in New York, told HuffPost. Prather is not affiliated with the research. 

“Obviously, we’re all tied to a computer or a car or something that keeps us inactive, but just interrupting that with any type of activity seems to have, per their data, some very impressive results. Not just cancer death, but even risk of developing cancer,” Prather added.

Researchers looked at data from 91,292 adults who wore wrist trackers for seven days to monitor their physical activity and the amount of time they spent sedentary. 

Study participants were then followed for a median of 12.38 years to monitor for cancer diagnosis and cancer-related deaths.

Researchers broke sedentary behaviour into two categories: prolonged sedentary behaviour, which was being sedentary for more than 30 minutes, and interrupted sedentary behaviour, which was sedentary behaviour that lasted less than 30 minutes and was interrupted by movement.

Those with higher rates of prolonged sedentary behaviour had a higher risk of certain cancers, including breast, colorectal, oesophageal, thyroid and liver, and a higher risk of death from cancer.

While breaking up time spent sitting is an important way to engage your muscles and cardiovascular fitness, this study does have limitations. In a press release, the study authors said the participants, who are part of the U.K. Biobank health database, have “higher physical activity levels than the general U.K. population.” It’s also not known what someone was doing when they were sedentary; they could be doing anything – commuting, working, watching a movie or something else.

Movement helps reduce inflammation in the body, which can decrease the risk of cancer

According to Prather, risk for certain cancers (such as breast, colorectal and prostate) is 60% genetic, but 40% of cancer risk is related to lifestyle factors, such as diet, sleep, stress, social connections, relationships, use of risky substances and, yes, exercise.

“[These things] combined cause us risk to have chronic systemic inflammation and chronic disease, of which cancer can be one of those,” said Prather.

Sedentary lifestyles can also lead to obesity, which is also a risk factor for several kinds of cancer.

In the end, aim to move more – and that’s important even if you regularly exercise

While having an exercise regimen that you stick to every day is ideal, it isn’t possible for everyone. This research shows that even if you aren’t someone who goes out for long runs or signs up for weekly Zumba classes, movement of any sort is beneficial to your health. 

“It doesn’t have to be that restrictive,” Prather explained. Movement could be parking further away from the grocery store, taking the stairs instead of the elevator or getting off the bus a stop early to walk those extra two blocks, she said.

Any amount is important, Prather said.

“Setting small goals will get you to the bigger goal, and start easy, start with something you wouldn’t even make a goal, make it so easy,” she added.

Maybe your goal is getting up to go for a 10-minute walk every day after lunch. Or maybe it’s taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work. Or perhaps it’s taking a 10-minute scroll break to wipe down the kitchen counters. There is no wrong goal, and movement will look different for everyone.

It’s worth noting that you aren’t excused from a “move more” prescription even if you go to the gym every day before work. If you are engaging in long periods of sitting, whether at work or on the couch, you need to counter it. 

“Get up, move because this study’s showing that breaking up long spouts of immobility is important,” Prather said. “It was pretty clear, if you have prolonged sedentary behaviour, that’s as risky as not exercising.”

Even if you do exercise regularly, be sure to also break up your daily sitting with a walk around the block or several standing breaks throughout the day to get your blood flowing and muscles moving.

“We were meant to move ... we were not meant to sit,” Prather said.