Scientists continue to research the connection between exercise and one’s cancer risk. People who choose on their own to exercise are very different from those who do not choose to exercise. Several studies have shown that those who exercise have other good health habits. They tend to drink less alcohol, eat healthier diets, smoke less if at all, take more vitamin supplements, and take better overall care of their health. As a result, it’s difficult to be sure that the exercise by itself is having the effect. (Breast Fitness, p. 62)

A widely publicized report from the Harvard School of Public Health in 1997 estimated that 65 percent of cancer deaths are caused by unhealthy lifestyles. The authors of the Harvard study cited smoking cessation, proper diet, and daily exercise as the best means of reducing the risk of developing a number of types of cancer. If physical activity can play a role in preventing cancer, couldn’t it also affect a person’s recovery from treatment? Growing scientific evidence suggests that physically fit cancer patients can fight the disease better, improve their quality of life, and maybe even live longer. (The Force Program — The Proven Way to Fight Cancer Through Physical Activity and Exercise, pp. 2-5)

Physical activity may boost the immune system’s ability to suppress cancer cells. When one exercises, weight and body fat can be reduced, which could produce a lower estrogen level. Exercise speeds the passage of food through the digestive system, possibly leaving less time for carcinogenic substances to damage the intestines and colon. How much exercise is necessary to impact one’s risk for cancer continues to be unknown.

next: Cancer Fatigue
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