Impact of an active lifestyle on cancer and other medical conditions

Sedentarism  vs active lifestyle

    Sedentary lifestyles increase all causes of mortality, doubles the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and obesity, and increase the risks of colon cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, lipid disorders, depression, and anxiety.

    According to https://www.lifespanfitness.com/ which quote https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/

Is stated:

• Physical inactivity may increase the risks of certain cancers.
• Physical inactivity may contribute to anxiety and depression.
• Physical inactivity has been shown to be a risk factor for certain cardiovascular diseases.
• People who engage in more physical activity are less likely to develop coronary heart disease.
• People who are more active are less likely to be overweight or obese.
• Sitting too much may cause a decrease in skeletal muscle mass.
• Physical inactivity is linked to high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels.

  Recommendation from the Centre for Disease Control is that an individual should have a minimum of 150 min. of moderate exercises or 75 min. of more vigorous ones weekly.

   On the other side of sedentarism a regular exercise will have major benefits for overall health and wellbeing:

1. Stimulate blood circulation which helps any cell in the body to get the optimal oxygen level.

    2.Reduce the risk of diseases.

    3.Help with weight loss.

    4.Increase the production of hormones

    5.Reduce the pain and increase the pain tolerance in chronic diseases

    6.Help with relaxion and improve sleep.

    7.Protect and improve mental function

    8.Increase the energy level

Studies and researches

   In recent decades, affluent populations have become increasingly sedentary, with many adults spending 70% or more of their waking hours sitting.

   Parallel with this change, evidence has emerged identifying habitual sedentary behavior (prolonged sitting) as a novel risk factor for cardiometabolic disease and all-cause mortality, independent of time spent in exercise. As this evidence is primarily observational in nature, further experimental research investigating potential mechanisms and dose-response relationships is necessary.

    For example, a daily quantity of neuromuscular stimulation (some combination of duration and frequency) that occurs during standing and light activities may be necessary to sustain components of musculoskeletal and metabolic health.

From <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2996155/>   

    Two decades of a sedentary lifestyle is associated with a two times risk of premature death compared to being physically active, according to results from the HUNT study presented today at ESC Congress 2019 together with the World Congress of Cardiology.

From <https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190831155849.htm>

Prevention of cancer through physicals exercise

   Is already proved that staying active help to prevent many types of cancer including colorectal, breast, and uterine. 

 -reducing the weight, as is well known the obesity is a cause for many types of cancers

  -regulate the hormones level, hormonal imbalance may increase cancer risk

  -increase the speed in intestinal transit can also reduce the risk of harmful substances staying too long in the body.

  -help the immune system

   In https://www.cancer.org/ is stated:

   That’s big news, because previous studies have investigated the link between physical activity and cancer risk, and results were inconclusive for most cancer types. The exceptions were colon, breast, and endometrial cancers. This new study, published May 16 in JAMA Internal Medicine, found that leisure-time physical activity was associated with a significantly decreased risk of not only these 3 cancers, but also oesophageal cancer, liver cancer, stomach cancer, kidney cancer, and myeloid leukemia. In addition, physical activity was strongly associated with a decreased risk of multiple myeloma, a blood cancer, as well as cancers of the head and neck, rectum, bladder, and lung (in current and former smokers).

 Exercises during and after the cancer therapies

   The old school of medicine used to advise patients with chronic illness to reduce physical activity.

   At the same time is proved that too much rest can lead to muscle weakness, losing bone density, reduce the range of motion, and overall body function.

   Is more and more in the treatment scheme of most cancer care teams to advise their patients about the advantage of starting some kind of physical activity as long as is not painful and doesn’t cause rapid heart rate or shortness of breath.

  According to https://www.cancer.org/:

The few ways regular exercises may help you during cancer treatment

• Keep or improve your physical abilities (how well you can use your body to do things)
• Improve balance, lower risk of falls and broken bones
• Keep muscles from wasting due to inactivity
• Lower the risk of heart disease
• Lessen the risk of osteoporosis (weak bones that are more likely to break)
• Improve blood flow to your legs and lower the risk of blood clots
• Make you less dependent on others for help with normal activities of daily living
• Improve your self-esteem
• Lower the risk of being anxious and depressed
• Lessen nausea
• Improve your ability to keep social contacts
• Lessen symptoms of tiredness (fatigue)
• Help you control your weight
• Improve your quality of life

 Bottom line

   While it is already accepted that physical exercises help in most of the medical condition, is always necessary to ask advice from the medical team before starting a new routine,

   Choosing what type of activity is better to practice, depends on each individual physical capacity.

    Staying physically active doesn’t mean necessarily to be in the gym, walking, gardening, dancing are all good for this purpose.

   Always start with mild exercises.