People who go faster have a significantly lower risk of developing cancer, especially lung cancer, shows a study by researchers at the University of Hong Kong.
Research suggests that the speed of walking can be more important than the duration for cancer prevention, X reports
The study analyzed the data of over 430,000 participants in the UK and Hong Kong, following them on average almost 11 years.
The results were impressive: people who go quickly had a general cancer risk of 13% lower in the UK and 45% lower in Hong Kong.
At pulmonary cancer, the risk reduction reached up to 53%.
“Our research suggests that the health benefits of walking are not just about how much you go, but also how quickly you go,” explains Professor Cheung-Lung, who led the study published in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle.
The researchers found that about a quarter of the protective effect are due to the lower levels of inflammatory markers and improved lipid metabolism in people who go quickly.
The speed of walking reflects the general health and physical function, being considered a “vital sign” of the body.
The study offers doctors a simple tool for identifying people at high risk of cancer.
Unlike other forms of exercise, walking is accessible to everyone and can be rapidly evaluated in a medical office.
The discovery opens new perspectives for cancer prevention strategies, suggesting that encouraging energetic walking could be an effective and easy to introduce public health.
