As if you needed one more reason to exercise, new research published in JAMA Internal Medicine shows exercise is associated with the reduced risk of 13 different cancers.
A research team with members from the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society analyzed data on 1.44 million people and found leisure-time physical activity was associated with lower risk of colon, breast, and lung cancers, which had been previously reported, as well as a lower risk of tumors in the liver, esophagus, kidney, stomach, endometrium, blood, bone marrow, head and neck, and rectum and bladder. Reduced risk for the various types of cancers ranged from 10 percent to 42 percent.
What’s more, the association between exercise and reduced cancer risk is “broadly generalizable to different populations,” even including the obese and smokers.
The average level of activity in the study was about 2.5 hours of moderate activity per week.
“Significance of this study supports what we have known for some time – exercise, along with a healthy diet, is one the most important steps you can take to help guard yourself against many types of cancers,” said Dr. William G. Danneman, a medical oncologist with OHC.
Because the study was an observational study, it doesn’t directly prove that exercise reduces cancer risks, only that there is an association between exercise and reduced risk. Although the study does not explain why the two are associated, physical activity is known to affect hormones, insulin levels and inflammation, which could play a role.
But even as researchers delve deeper into understanding the exact preventative role physical activity may play, one fact is abundantly clear: exercise is good for you. Currently the American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week or 75 minutes per week of vigorous intensity activity, in addition to normal activities of daily living.
An estimated 1.68 million Americans will be newly diagnosed with cancer this year and an estimated 595,690 cancer deaths, according to the ACS.
