Our Global Network is dedicated to funding research and health education programmes into the links between food, nutrition, physical activity, body fatness and cancer risk.

Home Second Expert Report Recommendations Physical activity

Updated evidence from the Continuous Update Project so far confirms that physical activity decreases risk of breast (postmenopause) and colorectal cancers

Physical activity

Be physically active as part of everyday life

Public health goals

  • The proportion of the population that is sedentary1 to be halved every 10 years
  • Average physical activity levels (PALs)1 to be above 1.6

Personal recommendations

  • Be moderately physically active, equivalent to brisk walking,2 for at least 30 minutes every day
  • As fitness improves, aim for 60 minutes or more of moderate, or for 30 minutes or more of vigorous, physical activity every day2,3
  • Limit sedentary habits such as watching television

1. The term 'sedentary' refers to a PAL of 1.4 or less. PAL is a way of representing the average intensity of daily physical activity. PAL is calculated as total energy expenditure as a multiple of basal metabolic rate
2. Can be incorporated in occupational, transport, household, or leisure activities
3. This is because physical activity of longer duration or greater intensity is more beneficial

For more details see Chapter 12 in our resource downloads section.