Benefits Of Regular Exercise: Risk Of Getting 13 Types Of Cancer Significantly Reduced, Study Suggests

A new study suggests that one of the many benefits of regular exercise is cancer prevention. The study findings indicate that regular exercise is linked to a reduction of a person's risk for 13 different types of cancer.

These include cancers of the breast, colon, lungs, liver, esophagus, liver, stomach, kidney, rectum, bladder, endometrium, head and neck. Leukemia and myeloma risk might also be reduced by regular exercise.

"The more activity, the more the benefit," lead author and U.S. National Cancer Institute investigator Steven Moore told U.S. News. "As people did more, their risk continued to lower."

The research about the benefits of regular exercise involved studying 1.4 million adults, aged 19 to 98. The researchers studied their regular exercise sessions performed outside their jobs or household chores. They then analysed if regular exercise made any difference in their risk of 26 types of cancer.

The findings show that regular exercise affected the risk of developing half of the cancers examined. "This suggests that physical activity may have a role to play in population-wide cancer prevention efforts," Moore explained. However, the researchers noted that the study findings only show a link and not a definitive proof that regular exercise directly prevents cancer.

Aside from possibly preventing cancer, there are many other benefits of regular exercise. These include preventing obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Regular exercise can also improve a person's mood, mental health, lifespan, and bone and muscle strength, according to the CDC.