Exercise: An Important Cancer Adversary!
Exercise is highly regarded as a healthy, necessary activity in our everyday lives. It helps you maintain a healthy weight, boosts endorphins, and can be a great emotional outlet! Now, add another incredibly valuable benefit: exercise is associated with a lower risk for cancer. In particular, staying physically active has been linked to decreasing risk of bladder, breast, colon, endometrial, esophageal, kidney, and stomach cancer.
Let’s dive into how exercise biologically impedes the development of cancerous cells. The one obvious and very important factor is that physical activity helps to prevent obesity, which immediately puts you at less risk for many health conditions. Sedentary behaviors such as sitting or lying down for extended periods of time without much movement has been associated with many chronic conditions and cancers, and it has even been linked to premature death. Exercise has also been found to reduce high concentration of insulin in the blood, a condition that is linked to colon and breast cancer. Exercise also lowers the levels of sex hormones such as estrogen, which in excess can lead to the development and progression of breast cancer. Exercise activities further decreases exposure to some carcinogens by altering the metabolism of bile acids and minimizing the amount of time food goes through the digestive tract. Ever notice that your physically active friends are less likely to come down with an illness? This is because exercise also improves the efficacy of your immune system.
So, what role does physical activity play in the lives of cancer patients? Studies have shown that aerobic training and resistance exercise can improve mood and reduce fatigue in cancer survivors, thus improving quality of life and physical function. A review of 61 studies involving stage 2 breast cancer patients concluded that aerobic and resistance exercise actually improved health outcomes. Exercise also directly impacts tumors; if one has a physical activity program during treatment, they can actually change the microenvironment the tumor is growing in and cause your immune system to create an environment hostile to the tumor. Recent studies on rodents have even shown that exercise can reduce the size of tumors! Furthermore, the uncomfortable symptoms from strenuous cancer treatment can be alleviated by exercise since physical activity can improve mood, increase muscle strength, and give patients some much-needed energy. For patients in remission, exercise has proven to decrease the likelihood that cancer will return.
All of these benefits begs the question of just how much exercise we should be getting every day. The American Institute for Cancer Research suggests that complete moderate exercise for at least 150 minutes per week and vigorous, intense exercise for at least 75 minutes per week. This includes strength and resistance training at least two days per week according to the American Cancer Society. I recognize that it’s very tempting to be sedentary for hours on end, sitting typing on your computer or watching a TV show. One tip to get yourself more active is to follow an exercise plan or program so that it’s easy to start right away. I also recommend exercising with a friend, as it will turn the environment into a more social, fun setting and your friend can help to keep you accountable. Most importantly, do exercise that you enjoy doing. If it feels like a dreaded task every day, then it won’t be nearly as motivating or fun. Instead, try different kinds of activities that you find intriguing. For instance, I personally would like to start doing yoga in order to keep my body stretched and active. Even something as simple as turning on your favorite music and dancing around the kitchen (something I do often) would suffice! And, remember that you can always reward yourself after exercising to make it more enticing. I love walking while listening to audiobooks, or picking up my favorite healthy dessert after going to the gym. There’s so many exercise possibilities out there, so get up and do something fun! (and decrease your risk of developing cancer while you’re at it!)
Sarina
Works Cited
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cancer/in-depth/secret-weapon-during-cancer-treatment-exercise/art-20457584
- https://www.mdanderson.org/prevention-screening/manage-your-risk/physical-activity.html
- https://www.cancer.org/treatment/survivorship-during-and-after-treatment/staying-active/physical-activity-and-the-cancer-patient.html
- https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/obesity/physical-activity-fact-sheet#what-is-known-about-the-relationship-between-physical-activity-and-cancer-risk
