Walking beats cancer all by itself (even without pink ribbon fundraisers)

Wednesday, December 08, 2010 by: David Gutierrez, staff writer
Tags: walking, cancer, health news

(NaturalNews) Nearly 10,000 cancers could be prevented in the United Kingdom alone if people took several brisk walks per week, according to a report from the World Cancer Research Fund.

"You don't have to be an athlete to reduce your cancer risk," said Henry Scowcroft of Cancer Research UK. "There's solid evidence that certain cancers -- including breast and bowel cancer -- are less common in people who do regular, moderate exercise such as brisk walking."

The report found that an average of just 45 minutes of moderate exercise per day could prevent roughly 4,500 cases of bowel cancer in the United Kingdom each year. It could also prevent approximately 5,500 cases of breast cancer, or more than 10 percent.

Moderate exercise includes brisk walks, cycling, dancing, gardening, leisurely swimming, or housework including vacuuming.

The report's authors point out that it is the total amount of time spent exercising that matters, not the length of any given session. In other words, taking three brisk 10-minute walks during the day provides as much benefit as taking one half-hour walk.

"These figures also show you do not have to go to the gym every day to benefit," researcher Rachel Thompson said. "You can reduce your cancer risk just by making small changes and this is highlighted by the fact that so many cancer cases could be prevented through something as simple as brisk walking. By taking up walking as a hobby or even walking to the shops instead of taking the bus or car, people can make a real difference to their health."

Researchers have long known that regular exercise reduces the risk of cancer.

"This hardly comes as a surprise, since cancer cells are typically oxygen-deprived, and exercise is a direct way to deliver extra oxygen to cells throughout the body and to improve the immune response," writes Andreas Moritz in the book Cancer Is Not A Disease.

"Researchers also believe that exercise can regulate the production of certain hormones that, unregulated, may spur tumor growth."

To learn more about how to prevent breast cancer, read the free NaturalNews.com report "Breast Cancer Deception" at https://www.naturalnews.com/Report_Breast_Can....

Sources for this story include: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11137074.