Dangers of being overweight are risk factors for the leading types of cancer and exercise benefits you by preventing hormone-related types of tumor. Being physically active or engaging in any form of regular physical exercise protects you from gaining weight.
Why should people exercise?
Here are 2 reasons why. . .
1. Prevention Against Hormone-Related Cancers
Merely thirty minutes of being physically active is already a step on prevention of cancer types that are caused by hormones.
The importance of any form of regular physical exercise is that it can significantly reduce the levels of hormones in your body.
The following are the cancers that being active protects you from are...
Colon Cancer
Why should people exercise? High levels of estrogen and insulin increase risk for colon cancer. And exercise provides prevention effect against increase in hormones by:
improving metabolism of estrogen,
regulating insulin level, and
regulating your bowel movements thereby, reducing the time your colon is exposed to carcinogens in your stools.
If you are physically active for 30 minutes to an hour everyday, your risk for colon cancer is reduced by 30 to 40% compared to a couch potato.
This is regardless of your body mass index. It is found that the protective effects of exercise benefits you against colon cancer and are greater with high-intensity exercise.
Pancreatic Cancer
Insulin is one of the hormones that trigger tumors. In fact, it increases your risk for pancreatic cancer.
Why should people exercise? Physical activity in the form of walking or hiking for only 4 hours every week can cut your risk by 50%! This is because one of the effects of exercise is improved insulin metabolism.
Breast Cancer
The importance of exercise is undeniable if you have this type of tumor. One of the benefits of physical exercise is it improves the metabolism of estrogen in the body.
It is found that moderate to vigorous physical activity during adolescence provide more protection against breast cancer and exercise reduces risk among menopausal women with healthy weight by as much as 37%.
Even those menopausal women who are overweight but exercises moderately have reduced risk for breast cancer by 20%.
2. Maintenance of Healthy WeightAny form of moderate and consistent physical activity helps you maintain a healthy weight which is crucial in the prevention of most diseases especially cancer.
Related Article:
Cancer and Obesity Learn how a healthy weight protects you from many of the leading types of cancer.
Are you also aware that the benefits of being active go beyond reducing your risk for cancer? Exercise also helps make your immune system healthier and helps you handle stress better.
