Health and Fitnes Can Reduce Risk of Cancer

Statistics

There have been several studies

that have proven the risk of

endometrial cancer, as well

as other cancer types, can be

reduced by 30% with regular

exercise where you work hard

enough to work up a sweat.

Researchers at the United States

National Cancer Institute analyzed

14 previous studies and found that

physical activity cuts the risk of

endometrial cancer by 20-40% when

compared to sedentary women that

sit 9 hours or more per day. This study

was published in the British Journal of Cancer

Exercise

Exercise also cuts the risk of cancers which include breast, colon, esophagus and kidney. Excessive body fat is a contributor to cancer sometimes due to higher hormone levels which in turn elevate the risk of cancer.

There are many ways to maintain a healthy body weight including joining a health and fitness center or health club, or just doing basic gym exercises. Diet and exercise is obviously the key to prime health and that is easier said than done. Exercise can be as easy as walking your neighborhood every morning or evening and leaving off those desserts.

Experts aren’t really sure just how much exercise is healthy enough to reduce the risk of cancer. One study showed 20% of womb cancers could have been avoided with about 20 minutes of exercise at least 5 times a week.

Another aspect of staying free of cancer in tests for women is getting adequate sleep.A recent study presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research suggests that regular physical activity can lower a woman's overall risk of cancer – but only if she gets a good night's sleep. Otherwise, lack of sleep can undermine exercise's cancer prevention benefits.


They have also tracked the time women spent sitting and found that 9 hours a day which would be your typical desk job doubled your risk of endometrial compared to women who only sat 3 hours a day. 

The bottom line is inactivity increases your risk of developing cancer and exercise minimizes the risk.  Exercise actually reduces potentially harmful levels of estrogen.  Healthy exercise is a must to fit into an otherwise busy schedule if you want to reduce your risk of getting cancer.

Exercise and Cancer for Men

Men who engaged in three or more hours of Metabolic Equivalent Tasks (MET) a week -- equivalent to jogging, biking, swimming or playing tennis for about a half-hour per week -- had a 35 percent lower risk of overall mortality.  However, walking didn't show any effect on prostate cancer specific mortality, but more strenuous exercising did. Men who engaged in five or more hours of vigorous physical activity a week were at a decreased risk of dying from their prostate cancer.

Summary

There are numerous exercise programs available in most areas of the country, from swimming programs to fitness gym workouts.  Exercise workouts can so easily be done without leaving your home as well.   Being aware of what it takes to be healthy and fit to reduce your risk of cancer and generally feel better overall is worth taking a little planning in your daily lifestyle.


The copyright to this article is owned by Pamela Oglesby. Permission to republish this article in print or online must be granted by the author in writing. (You can, however, freely use the opening introduction and photo with a link to the article here on HubPages to read the remainder of the article.)