Did you know that exercise can help prevent some types of cancer? Exercise can even improve the health of people undergoing cancer treatment and cancer survivors.
Exercise can help prevent bladder, breast, colon, kidney, bladder, esophagus, and stomach cancer, as well as improve the chance of survival for people with breast, colon, and prostate cancer, studies have shown.
Exercise can regulate blood sugar, metabolism and hormones that are linked to certain cancers.
A panel of experts, including the American College of Sports Medicine, recently released guidelines recommending physicians to “prescribe” exercise as part of cancer prevention and treatment.
The guidelines recommend cardio training (like walking, cycling, or swimming) or a combination of cardio training and strength training (like weight lifting) 2 to 3 times a week. The recommended duration is about 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of intense exercise per week.
The benefits of exercise are linked to improvements in cancer-related health outcomes such as anxiety, depression, fatigue, physical functioning, and quality of life.