Cancer is a complex disease with various causes, but research shows that regular exercise can play a powerful role in reducing the risk of certain types of cancers. Exercise helps by lowering inflammation, improving immune function, and enhancing insulin sensitivity—all factors that can reduce cancer risk.
Other exercises, especially those that elevate heart rate and build strength, have been shown to directly impact cells by creating an environment that may suppress tumor growth.
Dr. Louisa Nicola and Dr. Gabrielle Lyon recently shared a video with their followers on Instagram, explaining how exercise is a “natural medicine for cancer prevention and survival.”
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Benefits of Exercising for Cancer Prevention
They revealed how physical activity for “just 30 minutes a day can lower your risk of developing 13 types of cancer,” particularly “metabolic cancers” that respond directly to lifestyle changes.
Dr. Nicola says even if you exercise after your cancer diagnosis, your survival rate “increases.” This was noted in three different types of cancers: breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colon cancer.
She pointed out that one study published in Cell Press revealed that exercise releases myokines, which help inhibit tumor growth.
“You have to remember, tumors have a blood supply; they’re hungry. You need to cut off the blood supply; how do you do that? With natural killer cells,” she states.
Well, how do you get natural killer cells? Through exercise! “Exercise is medicine. It’s preventative medicine, and it’s curable medicine.”
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The bottom line
To start exercising for cancer prevention, you don’t need a complex routine—just 30 minutes a day can make a difference. Activities such as brisk walking, cycling, or strength training can stimulate these natural killer cells and enhance immune function.
If you’re just starting, aim for activities you enjoy and build gradually. Remember, exercise is not only preventative—it can also support survival and recovery, even after a cancer diagnosis.
READ MORE: 7 Simple Morning Exercises To Shed Fat And Transform Your Body Over 40, According To Trainers
