Fitness sector boost as report states exercise reduces risk of 13 cancers

The fitness industry just got a welcome boost following a new report by JAMA Internal Medicine revealing that exercise such as cycling or going for a brisk walk can stave off 13 types of cancer. Of 1.4 million people tested, those who did more physical activity in their leisure time were 27% less likely to develop liver cancer, for instance, and 26% and 23% less likely to develop lung and kidney cancer, respectively. Other cancers which exercise was found to protect against included endometrial, myeloid, leukaemia, colon, head and neck, bladder, rectal and breast. Previous research had shown only two-and-a-half hours of moderate activity a week, such as mowing the lawn, can suppress inflammation in the body which is believed to contribute to cancer.

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Exercise may reduce the risk of different types of cancers in human, find researchers in a new study. It is reported that moderate exercise like brisk walk or jogging is all that is required to lower the risk of 13 types of cancer seen in men and women.

For the purpose of the study, the researchers analyzed about 1.4 million people in the United States and Europe for a period of 11 years. The amount of physical activities like swimming, jogging, cycling or running performed by the participants was taken note of. About 186,000 cases of cancer were reported in the study participants that were a part of 12 different studies during that period.

On analyzing the risk of cancer among the study subjects it was revealed that people that were involved in moderate to vigorous physical activities were 27 percent at reduced risk of developing liver cancer. It was also found that about 26 and 23 percent of physically active people were at lower risk of developing lung and kidney cancer respectively.

"In sum these exciting findings underscore the importance of leisure-time physical activity as a potential risk reduction strategy to decrease the cancer burden," said Dr. Marilie Gammon, who reviewed the study, according to Telegraph. "The widespread generalisability of these findings is reinforced by the suggestion the associations persist regardless of BMI or smoking status," added Gammon.

According to the study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, people that are involved in performing exercises during their leisure time are 42 percent less likely to develop esophageal cancer. There is a 22 percent decreased risk of developing stomach cancer of the cardia among active people when compared to those that performed little to no exercise.

"Everybody knows physical activity reduces heart disease risk," said Steven Moore, a cancer epidemiologist and lead author of the study at the National Cancer Institute, reported Time. "The takeaway here is that physical activity might reduce the risk of cancers as well. Cancer is a very feared disease, but if people understand that physical activity can influence their risk for cancer, then that might provide yet one more motivating factor to become active."

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