By the end of February most New Year’s resolutions are long forgotten. Why not get back on it? Here are some ideas.
Regular exercise cuts the odds for 7 major cancers. The more you exercise the lower your risk. Researchers concluded this fact when they pooled data from nine published studies that included more than 750,000 men and women.
“We found that the recommended amount of physical activity was in fact associated with significantly reduced risk for breast, colon, endometrial, kidney, liver, myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma,” said lead researcher Charles Matthews, a senior investigator at the U.S. National Cancer Institute.
U.S. guidelines recommend three to five hours a week of moderate activity for adults, or one to three hours a week of vigorous activity.
The study authors found that the harder you exercise for that recommended time, the more you reduce your cancer risk.
Specifically, the risk of colon cancer in men was reduced between 8% for moderate exercise and 14% for vigorous activity.
For women’s breast cancer, the reduction ranged from 6% for moderate exercise to 10% for a vigorous work out; for endometrial cancer, from 10% to 18%; kidney cancer, 11% to 17% myeloma, 14% to 19%; liver cancer 18% to 27%; and non-Hodgkin lymphoma in women, 11% to 18%
Alpa Patel, the American Cancer Society’s senior scientific director of epidemiology research, who was part of the study, urged caution in interpreting the findings.
Patel pointed out that the study does not prove that exercise lowers cancer risk, only that a strong association exists.
“The most common things that we know about exercise, even in the absence of weight maintenance or weight loss, is that its important for insulin regulation, sex hormones like estrogen, and also has an important impact on inflammation and immune response. Any or all of these different factors could affect different types of cancer,” she said.
“There are certain modifiable risks associated with cancer, and we are learning more and more about the potential benefits of being physically active as it relates to cancer prevention,” Patel added.
The report was published December 26, 2019 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Other factors work to restart your 2020 goals. Remember that research clearly shows a diet that contains over 30% of total daily calories from fat, increases the chances of developing the chances of developing heart disease and certain cancers.
Moving often is essential for an efficient cardiovascular system. We all know the heart is essential to the circulation of blood throughout the body. Few people seem to understand that the contraction of muscles squeezes veins and arteries, moving life-giving blood through the one-way valves of the circulatory system. Especially to more distant parts of the body. Sedentary people have less efficient circulatory systems. Frequent movement is essential for healthy circulation.
Frequent movement helps maintain and improve muscle mass and related bone density. If you are contracting muscles, bones are also being stressed and strengthened. Although there is consistent evidence that aging may naturally accommodate some muscle and bone loss, being inactive will guarantee such less will happen at an accelerated rate. Moving often throughout the day is the best antidote to slow or prevent such losses. Serious strength training programs have been demonstrated to not only prevent such loss but may result in increases in muscle mass and bone density.
Falling is a major concern for seniors and a frequent cause of disability and even death. Movement challenges the ability to stabilize the body and maintain and improve balance skills. The best insurance against falling is to move often over varied terrain within one’s movement competence.
