Research indicates that increasing both the duration and intensity of physical activity may reduce the risk of kidney, liver, breast, and colon cancers.
This comes from a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, which examined how adhering to standard exercise guidelines impacts cancer risk.
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Health experts recommend 2.5 to 5 hours per week of moderate activity, like brisk walking or gardening, or 1.25 to 2.5 hours of vigorous exercise, such as running, lap swimming, or jumping rope.
Alpa Patel, PhD, from the American Cancer Society, noted: "These guidelines are primarily based on their benefits for chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes, but they also play a key role in cancer prevention."
Conducted by researchers from the American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute, and Harvard University, the study tracked 755,000 adults. Participants reported their leisure-time exercise habits and were followed for 10 years to monitor for 15 types of cancer.
Meeting or exceeding exercise guidelines was associated with lower risk for 7 of the 15 cancers examined. Kidney cancer risk dropped by 17% in both men and women. Liver cancer risk fell by 27%, and Kahler's disease by 19%.
Vigorous exercise reduced colon cancer risk by 14% in men and breast cancer risk by 10% in women.
As an observational study, researchers caution against definitive causation claims but suggest physical activity likely influences cancer risk.
Source: Today.com
