Keeping active can help you lose weight or keep a healthy weight, which reduces the risk of 13 different types of cancer. And if you're exercising a lot, it can help prevent breast and bowel cancer.15 Jan 2021
How much does exercise reduce cancer risk?
Although we do not know for sure that exercise itself is lowering the cancer risk, people who exercise regularly have a 40% to 50% lower risk of colon cancer, compared with those who don't exercise regularly. Some evidence suggests that people who are active their entire lives have the lowest risk of colon cancer.
How does being physically inactive cause cancer?
Physical inactivity increases your risk of bowel cancer and breast cancer, and possibly prostate, uterine and lung cancer. Being inactive also contributes to weight gain. Being overweight or obese also increases cancer risk. The good news is you can lower your cancer risk by being physically active.