Performing more light exercise such as gardening and walking could reduce the risk of breast cancer by up to 21%, study suggests

Gardening and going for regular walks could reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.

Light physical activity, such as walking, housework and vacuuming the house, was linked to a lower risk of breast cancer in a study of more than 48,000 women in the UK.

Those who managed more than five hours and 45 minutes a day of light physical activity had a 21 per cent lower risk of breast cancer.

Experts say this is easily achievable, even for working people, if they walk to and from work, go for a stroll in their lunch break and spend time cooking, doing dishes and completing housework when they get home.

It was achieved by a quarter of the women studied, who were asked to simply go about their normal daily lives while wearing a fitness tracker.

Many studies looking at how exercise may reduce the risk of breast cancer simply ask women how active they are, so the answers are often inaccurate.

But the latest study actually tracked people’s activity, and is unusual in showing that light physical activity which does not raise a sweat or make people breathless may nonetheless protect against breast cancer.

Dr Carlos Celis-Morales, senior author of the study from Glasgow University, said: ‘People know physical activity will reduce their risk of cancer, but it can be difficult to find the motivation to do vigorous exercise.

‘These study findings are exciting because they suggest women can reduce their risk of breast cancer simply through being active as part of their daily routine.

‘It is more evidence that every step counts, and doing things like gardening or walking to work can make a difference.’

Researchers looked at 48,286 women aged 39 to 71 who had previously signed up to the large UK Biobank health study.

These women agreed to wear a fitness tracker for seven days.

The women were split into four different groups for light physical activity, depending on how much they achieved.

The results showed the quarter of women who were the most active achieved more than 2,419 minutes of light physical activity a week – approximately five hours and 45 minutes a day.

All the women were followed up for an average of almost five and a half years, during which time 836 were diagnosed with breast cancer.

Women who clocked up five hours and 45 minutes a day of gentle exercise benefited from the reduced risk

The most active, for light physical activity, were 21 per cent less likely to develop breast cancer compared to the quarter of women who were the least active – meaning they were active for less than around four and a half hours a day.

The UK Biobank contains people who have signed up for a health study, so may get more exercise than the general population.

But Dr Celis-Morales said doing almost six hours of light physical activity a day was a good target to aim for.

Women who did the most moderate to vigorous physical activity – more than 96 minutes a day on average – were found to be 22 per cent less likely to get breast cancer compared to women who did the least.

This was after researchers took into account factors including women’s weight, how much they drank or smoked, and their age.

Physical activity reduces inflammation in the body, which can lead to cancer, and people who are fitter may also have immune systems which are better able to seek out and destroy cells before they can cause cancer.

The study was published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health.