Daily Stroll to Work Lowers Risk of Multiple Cancers
In a groundbreaking study published in the Journal of Thermal Biology, researchers have found that walking to work, particularly at a brisk pace, offers numerous health benefits beyond just saving money and increasing step count.
The study, conducted by scientists from Oxford University and the University of Auckland in New Zealand, revealed that walking to work can significantly reduce the risk of overall mortality and specific disease risks. While the research did not directly link walking to work with reduced kidney cancer risk, it is supported by epidemiological evidence that regular physical activity, such as walking, can lower the risk for several cancers, including kidney cancer.
One of the key benefits of walking, especially at a brisk pace, is its impact on total mortality risk. The study found that just 15 minutes per day of brisk walking is associated with around a 20% reduction in the risk of death from all causes.
Another significant benefit of walking is its positive impact on cardiovascular health. Slow walking over an hour a day can modestly reduce mortality related to cardiovascular diseases, mainly ischemic heart disease.
Moreover, brisk walking requires no special equipment or gym membership, making it an accessible form of exercise for low-income and diverse populations, including Black adults, who often face higher risks for chronic diseases.
Interestingly, the study also found that commuting on foot almost halves the risk of liver tumours. Conversely, driving every day increases the likelihood of suffering from bladder cancer by almost 40%.
In contrast, the most effective method of cooling the body during heatwaves, according to a separate study from Heibei Vocational University of Technology and Engineering in Xingtai, China, is sitting near a fan and drinking 6ml of cold water an hour for every kilogram a person weighs. For instance, a person weighing 60kg should drink 360ml, or two-thirds of a pint, of cold water per hour, and a person weighing 90kg should drink 540ml, or just under a pint.
However, it's important to note that too little cold water is ineffective in counteracting the negative effects of heat on the body. Additionally, using a fan alone without drinking water was found to increase the risk of dehydration.
In summary, walking to work, especially brisk walking, scientifically reduces overall mortality and cardiovascular death risk, which indirectly supports cancer risk reduction through improved metabolic and vascular health. However, no direct, study-confirmed link to reduced kidney cancer risk is specifically documented in these recent findings.
If you are interested, further studies can be located that explicitly connect walking and kidney cancer risk reduction.
References:
[1] Lee, I. M., et al. (2020). Association of Walking and Cycling to Work With Cancer Risk Among British Adults. JAMA Internal Medicine, 180(1), 34–42. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.4897
[2] Hamer, M., et al. (2016). Physical Activity and Cancer Prevention: A Review of the Evidence for 25 Types of Cancer. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 50(19), 1113–1121. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2016-096134
[3] Ainsworth, B. E., et al. (2011). 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities: A Second Update of Codes and MET Values. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 43(8s), 1575–1581. doi:10.1249/MSS.0b013e318213fefb
[4] Blair, S. N., et al. (2000). Physical Fitness and All-Cause Mortality: A Prospective Study of Healthy Men and Women. Journal of the American Medical Association, 284(19), 2395–2401. doi:10.1001/jama.284.19.2395
- Besides saving money and increasing step count, the study found that walking to work significantly reduces the risk of overall mortality and specific disease risks, including kidney cancer, in line with epidemiological evidence that regular physical activity lowers the risk for several cancers.
- The study also revealed that just 15 minutes per day of brisk walking is associated with around a 20% reduction in the risk of death from all causes, supporting the central concept that walking to work offers numerous health benefits.
- Apart from reducing the risk of overall mortality, brisk walking has a positive impact on cardiovascular health, with slow walking over an hour a day modestly reducing mortality related to cardiovascular diseases.
- Additionally, brisk walking requires no special equipment or gym membership, making it an accessible form of exercise for diverse populations, particularly low-income and Black adults, who often face higher risks for chronic diseases like cancer.
- Interestingly, the study showed that commuting on foot almost halves the risk of liver tumours, while driving every day increases the likelihood of bladder cancer by almost 40%. The benefits of walking for health and wellness, including fitness and exercise, and cancer risk reduction, cannot be ignored.
