Are walking and cancer risk related?

Everyone knows that the goal for your daily step count should be 10,000 steps, right???  But wait, where did that number come from?  And was it based on science or myth?

It turns out that the 10,000 step goal originated in Japan in the 1960s, and was based more on Japanese culture and values rather than on any science.  I kept that number as a step goal for many years without any reason other than it "felt right."  But now we have some solid science that suggests the number may  have real value for your health!

 

Let's start by talking about what leads to health declines in old age. Chronic low-level inflammation, sometimes called "inflammaging," leads to decreased immunity, muscle loss, brain declines, risk of heart disease, and many cancers.  What leads to that chronic inflammation?  Poor food choices is a big factor (more about that in separate posts), and at least as important is the lack of physical activity. So, a person with a diet of highly processed foods, few fresh vegetables and fruits and nuts, who spends most of the day sitting, will age faster and be more likely to develop serious diseases. What can we do to prevent that? 

A research study from a few years ago compared a group of senior citizens in 3 groups: those who averaged less than 3000 steps per day, those who averaged around 5000 - 7000 steps per day, and those who crossed the 10,000 step count daily on average.  Lab tests showed very high levels of "inflammaging" in those at the 3000 step count, a 50% reduction in those inflammation markers at 5000 - 7000 steps per day, and close to a complete elimination of signs of inflammaging in those who reached the 10,000 daily step count. Remarkable!  (1) 

And in case that was not enough, another study in an even larger sample of adults.  Those with the highest levels of physical activity had a 26% lower risk of 13 cancers than those with the lowest level of physical activity.  Specifically, a higher average daily step count was a very strong predictor of lower cancer risk, with the best risk reduction showing up above 9000 steps per day.  (2) 

These data together provide a very clear picture: regular daily physical activity, to the tune of 9000 steps to 10,000 steps per day, reduces or even eliminates the chronic low-grade inflammation associated with aging, and the reduction in inflammation is associated with lower cancer risk. This is powerful, because we can take action on this and know that we are making a difference!

 

What's your plan?  Early in the day?  Late in the day?  Walk alone?  Walk with a buddy?  Invest in some comfy walking shoes and get moving!  It's your choice. 

 

 

 

To your health,

 

Robert Pendergrast, MD, MPH

 

1. Bartlett, D.B., et al. Habitual physical activity is associated with the maintenance of neutrophil migratory dynamics in healthy older adults. Brain Behav. Immun. (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2016.02.024

2.  Shreves AH, Small SR, Walmsley R, et al Amount and intensity of daily total physical activity, step count and risk of incident cancer in the UK Biobank, British Journal of Sports Medicine 2025;59:839-847