Cancer & ExerciseEffects & how-to exercise for cancerPreventing cancer with exercise, effects of exercise on cancers, follows, focusing on uterine, ovarian, endometrial & lung cancers. Our umbrella page on cancer & exercise Current cancer patients & exercise Studies on the effects of exercise on cancer: prevention, treatment & post-treatment, suggest exercise plays a positive role. In particular, the link between colon, breast & prostate cancer exercise has been shown to be solidly inverse. The more you exercise the lower the risk of those cancers. Studies on the connection between exercise & other cancers are more mixed. One problem is that studies on the relationship of exercise to cancers, other than colon, breast & prostate, are too few to draw conclusions from. Also, such studies have been relatively poorly constructed. Still there are good reasons to believe that various cancer risks are reduced by exercise. First, exercise boosts the immune system & decreases stress levels. Both developments play roles in formations of various cancers so it would be reasonable to assume that exercise should decrease overall cancer risk. Exercise seems to play an important role in female reproductive cancers. That is because of the effects that exercise has on the female hormones which in turn influence cancer risk. Uterine, ovarian, endometrial cancer & exercise
Exercise appears to decrease uterine cancer risk. In part it may be because uterine cancer is increased in obese women & exercise reduces obesity.
Ovarian cancer also seems to be reduced by exercise.
In one study combining uterine & ovarian cancer, former collegiate non-athletes had a 2.5 times greater chance of developing either uterine or ovarian cancer than former college athletes.
Studies from countries outside of the U.S. also suggest exercise reduces the risk of uterine cancer.
Exercise has also been found to reduce endometrial cancer.
Here too, the effects of exercise may come down to its ability to reduce obesity which is the key factor in endometrial cancer development. Another key factor in endometrial cancer that exercise remedies is hormonal stabilization. Lung cancer & exerciseThe relationship between cancer & exercise for lung cancer is also being increasingly seen as inverse according to the few available studies. More exercise = less lung cancer.
It is unlikely that exercise plays as large a role in lung cancer prevention as it does in the prevention of colon, prostate & breast cancers. That’s because lung cancer is more influenced by other factors like the air we breath & smoking behavior.
Still, there is some benefit to exercising in order to prevent lung cancer.
Studies are too few to suggest certainty but early indications are promising. Cancer prevention exerciseSimilar to advice for other cancers, preventing the various cancers cited above can best be accomplished by following the following suggestions.
Engage in moderate exercise for cancer prevention.
Exercise on most days for between 20 - 50 minutes.
The value of exercise on cancer does not increase because exercise becomes more strenuous. In fact, over-exercising may actually increase stress & depress immunity putting you at greater risk for cancer. Don’t burn yourself out! Exercising during treatment & post-treatmentExercising during treatment for cancer & post treatment is also recommended unless there are compelling medical reasons not to exercise.
However, during & post treatment, make sure that other lifestyle choices are wise ones. Eat healthy & make absolutely certain that you are getting enough sleep.
See our pages on specific topics regarding exercise especially strength, flexibility, aerobics, Pilates & yoga by going to the navigation bar on page left.
See our pages on specific topics regarding exercise especially strength, flexibility, aerobics, Pilates & yoga by going to the navigation bar on page left.
For more helpful information visit our umbrella page on cancer and exercise -> cancer exercise.
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