Exercise lowers cancer risk up to 20 percent
We all know how crucial exercise is to our overall health. It has been shown to improve mood, help with weight loss, and give you energy to get through the day. A growing body of research shows that exercise lowers cancer risk up to 20 percent.
Over 100 studies have examined the effects of exercise on cancer risk. Combining all the results, one thing is clear: the longer you exercise, the more anti-cancer benefits you reap.
Studies also show that those who exercise when they are young have a lower risk of cancer when they get older.
How much exercise affects cancer risk depends on the type of cancer and other lifestyle factors, but the benefits range anywhere from 20 to 55 percent lower risk of cancer for those who exercise.
- 20 to 30 percent lower risk of breast cancer
- 38 percent reduced risk of invasive breast cancers
- 30 to 40 percent lower risk of colon cancer
- 44 percent lower risk of bowel cancer after the age of 65
- 55 percent lower risk of lung cancer
A new analysis of 12 studies from over 1.4 million people found that those who exercised had at least a 7 percent lower risk of developing any type of cancer.
As reported in a Time Magazine piece about the study:
“[T]he reduced risk was especially striking for 13 types of cancers. People who were more active had on average a 20 percent lower risk of cancers of the esophagus, lung, kidney, stomach, endometrium and others compared with people who were less active …
‘Everybody knows physical activity reduces heart disease risk,’ says [lead author Steven] Moore [Ph.D.]. ‘The takeaway here is that physical activity might reduce the risk of cancers as well.
Cancer is a very feared disease, but if people understand that physical activity can influence their risk for cancer, then that might provide yet one more motivating factor to become active.'”
The study showing that exercise lowers cancer risk up to 20 percent was published in the journal JAMA Oncology.
Note: None of the information in our website is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness or disease. The content on our website is for educational purposes only.
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REFERENCES:
1. “Exercise Can Lower Risk of Some Cancers by 20 Percent.” Mercola.com. Mercola.com, n.d. Web. 07 June 2016.
2. “Exercise Can Lower Risk of Some Cancers by 20%.” Time. Time, n.d. Web. 07 June 2016.
3. “Midlife Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Cancer.” JAMA Oncology. JAMA Network, n.d. Web. 07 June 2016.
4. “Exercise: 7 Benefits of Regular Physical Activity.” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, n.d. Web. 07 June 2016.
