Bursts of activity that make you huff and puff ‘linked to reduced cancer risk’

Activities could include vigorous housework, carrying heavy shopping around the supermarket, or bursts of power walking.

Activities could include vigorous housework (Alamy/PA)

Short bursts of daily activity that make you huff and puff – such as playing high-energy games with children – could help reduce the risk of cancer, research suggests.

According to the study, a total of just four-and-a-half minutes of vigorous activity – done in bursts of around one minute each – during daily tasks could reduce the overall risk of cancer by 18%, and the risk of some cancers linked to physical activity by up to 32%.