Does exercise affect your risk of cancer?

How does exercise reduce cancer risk?

Exercise may help lower the risk of bowel, breast, and womb cancers. It can also reduce your risk of at least 10 other cancers by helping you to keep to a healthy weight.

Experts are still working to find out the link between exercise and cancer risk. But they think that several factors can help to reduce your risk of cancer. For example, regular exercise can:

• help maintain healthy hormone levels
• boost your body’s ability to use insulin and regulate your blood sugar
• reduce inflammation in the body
• improve how well your immune system works
• help food move through the digestive system more quickly

Both moderate exercise (such as brisk walking or swimming) and vigorous exercise (such as running) helps. One study found that taking more steps each day was connected to a lower risk of cancer. Strengthening activities are helpful too.

Does exercise help with cancer treatment?

If you’ve received a cancer diagnosis and are due to start treatment, exercise can still be beneficial for you. International guidelines advise you to exercise before, during, and after cancer treatment. It might be the last thing on your mind, but being active can help you to:

• get fit before surgery and help with recovery
• reduce treatment side effects, such as fatigue
• improve your body strength
• reduce any distress and anxiety

Being strong and fit can also improve survival rates for people with cancer.

Try to stay as active as you can but take your time. Start with 10 minutes of light activity a day and then gradually build up to more. Make sure to rest if you need to.

Depending on your cancer type, its stage, and your side effects, you may need to avoid certain physical activities. For example, if you have bone thinning or bone cancer, it’s recommended to avoid high impact activities like jumping and running.

Always talk to your doctor before starting a new exercise routine, especially during treatment.

What exercise is good for cancer?

All kind of movement is good for you, whether you have cancer or not. Anything that gets you warmer, increases your pulse, and gets you breathing harder can count. This can include daily tasks like chores, gardening, or carrying heavy shopping bags.

Building movement into your routine can make it easier to do. It also helps if you find something that you enjoy doing. Start small and gradually build up to higher intensity and more amounts. You could try:

• going for a walk on your lunch break
• taking the stairs instead of the escalator or lift
• joining a sports club or exercise class
• doing seated exercises or chair yoga at your desk
• listening to music and dancing at home
• getting off at an earlier bus stop and walking
• setting yourself reminders for 10-minute movement breaks
• doing some morning stretches

Work towards doing at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise weekly. Or, if you do vigorous exercise, you should aim to do at least 75 minutes each week. If you can, add muscle-strengthening exercises twice a week.

Don’t worry if you’re not doing as much as this yet, because any activity is better than none.

Does exercise lower cancer recurrence?

Sometimes cancer can come back for reasons outside of your control. But having healthy habits can help to reduce this risk.

Some evidence suggests that exercise can reduce the risk of certain cancers coming back. One study looked at people with colon cancer who had just finished surgery and chemotherapy. Sticking to an exercise programme helped them lower their risk of new or recurring cancer. It also boosted their chances of survival.

Other factors may influence how likely your cancer is to come back. These include your body fat, diet, and alcohol intake. So it’s a good idea to focus on living a generally healthy lifestyle after cancer treatment or remission. Any positive changes, even small ones, can make a big difference to your health.