Jogging Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St Louis worked together with other researchers from the American Cancer Society, using their data to see whether consistent physical activity had an effect on the risk of getting colon cancer and/or the likelihood of dying from the disease.
Looking at data from more than 150,000 men and women, the researchers assessed exercise levels over a 15-year period and then, incidence of colon cancer in the following eight years. They found that people who exercised regularly over a period of at least ten years were in the lowest-risk group for colon cancer.
The research indicates that individuals get the most benefits from exercise if they do so consistently and over as long a period of time during adulthood as possible. But, say the researchers, it’s never too late to start. They argue that even a 30-minute walk each day is enough to reduce your risk of a number of diseases, and that exercise, once a cancer diagnosis has been made, can decrease the risk of it recurring or of becoming worse.
First published January 5, 2011