Exercise When You Feel Like It and Lower Your Cancer Risk
Researchers at the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society are giving us all some fantastic news about the relationship between greater levels of leisure-time physical activity and a lower risk of developing 13 different types of deadly cancer. The study, conducted by Steven C. Moore, Ph.D., of the NCI and his colleagues, was published in JAMA Internal Medicine on May 16, of this year, confirms that there's evidence supporting the benefit of physical activity in ones pastime to a reduced risk of cancer and emphasizes its role as an integral part of population-wide cancer prevention and control efforts.
This study looked at hundreds of previous studies, pooling the data from 1.44 million people between the ages of 19 and 98 living in the United States and Europe. Study participants were followed for 11 long years during which time 187,000 new cases of cancer occurred. Among the participants who spent more of their leisure time being physically active than their sedentary counterparts, the study revealed an association with a lower risk of colon, breast, endometrial, liver, kidney, esophageal adenocarcinoma, gastric cardia, rectum, bladder, myeloid leukemia, lung, and cancers of the neck & head.
How much leisure-time physical activity are we talking about? A pretty doable amount in my opinion. The median level of pastime action was approximately 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week. Coincidentally, this same 2 1/2 hour number is the same amount of minutes currently recommended by the Center of Disease Control and Prevention for moderate-intensity exercise. Way to go CDC!
What seems to the mechanism(s) causing this decreased risk of developing cancer? Well, there are numerous mechanisms that could be at play. It's possible that the leisure-time physical activity is causing a reduction in the transit time of waste to pass through the GI tract, a reduction in inflammation & oxidative stress, or increased immune function. It could be that hormones such as insulin, IGF-1, estrogen, and androgens such as DHEA, DHT, androsterone, and testosterone are being positively affected.
Let's not get hung up too much on the importance of why our cancer risks are being reduced and instead let's stick to what we do know which is we need 150 minutes of off-work bodily movement to keep us off the direct mailing list of Sloan Kettering.
So how do we apply the encouraging research discovered in this study in our own lives? This week before we go to work or after we get off of working our 9 to 5, it means we need to hit the gym for 30 minutes Monday through Friday without fail, we could throw on our faded shorts & tennis and go run for 50 minutes 3 days this week, or maybe squeeze in a 30-minute hike on Thursday and then swim for an hour two days this weekend.
Free-style it and mix it up. Remember the study involved leisure-time physical activity and not rigidly scheduled exercise so no freaking out. Throw on your ball cap, throw a little caution to the wind, and just go exercise whenever you feel like it.
Writing is my "thang" and your reading makes it possible for me to smile. Thank you.
-Bell Gia
Nutrition and Fitness Expert
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