I’m a doctor – here’s the shockingly small amount of exercise each day that slashes risk of cancer

Exercising for a mere few minutes could drastically lower the risk of cancer. 

Just four minutes of vigorous exercise per day – such as running, cycling, and swimming – was linked to a one-fifth lower risk of cancer. 

And just 10 minutes of similar exercise slashed the risk of dying from heart disease by 50 percent, according to a study published last year.

Dr Layne Norton, a nutritional scientist and professional bodybuilder, said research is increasingly showing that a ‘disgustingly small’ amount of moderate to intense exercise is the key to avoiding an early grave.

During an episode of the FoundMyFitness podcast last week, Dr Norton, from Florida, said: ‘Your body is so made to move against stuff that if you don’t do that, you’re drastically accelerating your aging and your cognitive decline.

‘Exercise is one of the only things that you can do, independent of weight loss, that will improve all your health parameters.’

Researchers have found that exercising for as little as 10 minutes per day could slash cancer risk by up to 30 percent

Vigorous exercise significantly raises your heart rate, which means the heart is working harder to deliver oxygen to your muscles, helping them function and grow.

The Mayo Clinic defines the sweet spot as 70 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. Your maximum heart rate can be calculated by multiplying your age by 0.7 and subtracting the total from 208. 

So a 30-year-old, for example, would have a maximum heart rate of 187, and their heart rate during intense exercise should fall between 131 and 159 beats per minute. 

But a general rule of thumb is if you’re struggling to breathe or keep up with a conversation, you’re likely doing vigorous exercise. 

Dr Norton pointed to research published last year in JAMA Oncology, which analyzed data from more than 22,000 adults who did not regularly exercise. The average participant age was 62, and about 55 percent were women. 

The researchers found that just four minutes of vigorous exercise per day reduced cancer risk by 20 percent. That figure jumped to 30 percent for 10 minutes of exercise. 

And three short bouts of exercise per day led to a 40 percent reduced risk of cancer and cancer death, along with a 50 percent reduction in heart disease death. 

The researchers did not explain how exercise decreases cancer risk, though experts believe it does so by reducing potentially harmful inflammation and improving immune function, which keep cancer cells from developing. 

Dr Norton also noted that short periods of exercise have also been shown to improve mental and cognitive health.  

He pointed to a study published last year in Psychiatry Research, which looked at men with major depressive disorder who did two 25-minute resistence training workouts per week for eight weeks. 

Recent research has found that just 20 minutes of physical activity per day slashes the risk of cancer, dementia and heart disease

The researchers wrote that the exercise sessions ‘significantly improved symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).’

Improvements were measured using effect size. The higher the number, the more effective a treatment is. Exercise scored a 1.7 effect size. 

‘1.7 is massive. SSRIs fall between 0.3 and 0.8,’ Dr Norton said.

‘What I’m not saying is we should get rid of SSRIs and have everybody exercise because sometimes maybe someone needs an SSRI just to get out of bed and actually go exercise. But if we’re looking at how powerful that lever is, that’s amazing.’ 

In addition, Dr Norton mentioned a small 2023 study, which found that 20-minute bouts of moderate to vigorous activity improved memory more than longer periods of exercise. 

‘Even if you just go walk vigorously for 30 minutes in a day, you’re killing it,’ he said.

Dr Norton suggested treating exercise like ‘brushing your teeth’ to make it a habit. ‘Do you feel motivated to brush your teeth? No, you do it because you know if don’t brush your teeth, they’re going to go to crap.’

‘The same thing happens with your body if you don’t exercise.’