HOUSEWORK could cut the risk of cancer as it counts as light exercise, researchers say.
Simple tasks such as walking to the shops or doing household chores were found to be good for health.
Pushing the vacuum cleaner, scrubbing the shower and digging flowerbeds also lift the heart rate.
Researcher Prof Aiden Doherty, from Oxford University, said moving little and often would trump vigorous workoutsfor many.
He added: “Our research highlights the importance of all forms of movement.
“It shows that people who often engage in simple low-intensity activities such as walking have a lower risk of developing cancer.
“Any level of physical activity appears to contribute to lower cancer risk.”;
His study focused on data from activity-tracking wristbands worn by 85,394 middle-aged people.
It showed the most active people had a quarter lower cancer risk than the least active.
Someone walking 7,000 steps was 11 per cent less likely to get the disease than those doing 5,000.
And increasing it to 9,000 steps a day lowered the risk by 16 per cent.
