The study found that you need to do a minimum of three minutes of daily VILPA to reap the benefits, and that most VILPA happened in bouts of up to 60 seconds.

As the study (whose participants had an average age of 62) was an observational one, researchers can only conclude seeing a strong link rather than objective cause and effect. They do, however, believe that doing small bouts of activity that leave you breathless causes rapid cardio fitness improvement, and it’s that which may explain the reduced cancer risk.

They also suggest that being physically active improves chronic inflammation and improved insulin sensitivity as possible reasons for the reduced cancer risk. More research is needed to say for certain.

Bottom line? Take the stairs, carry your shopping and break up Zoom meetings with a spot of vigorous sweeping or a power walk around the block. Your body will thank you in the long run.

Just 4 minutes of ‘exercise snacking’ can reduce your risk of cancer – here’s why