Simple Exercise Can Cut Cancer Deaths in Men, Study Shows

A recent study published in the British Journal of Cancer revealed that men who exercise often are less likely to die from cancer than those who don't. The study found that men who walked or cycled for at least 30 minutes a day had a 34 per cent lower risk of dying from cancer than men who did less exercise or nothing at all.

The study involved a team of scientists from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden who monitored a number of 40,708 men aged between 45 and 79 years. During the seven years period of the study, 3,714 developed cancer and 1,153 died from the disease. The researchers suggest that half an hour of walking or cycling a day increased survival among these men by 33 per cent.

"These results clearly show for the first time, the effect that very simple and basic daily exercise such as walking or cycling has in reducing cancer death risk in middle-age and elderly men," one of the researchers, Professor Alicja said. "Additionally, this study threw up some really promising data on the role exercise can play in preventing cancer which we would like to explore further in future work."

They found that a more intensive program of walking and cycling for between an hour and an hour and a half a day, led to a l6 per cent lower incidence of cancer.

It's not entirely clear from this study what role exercise plays in preventing cancer in men, but it somehow proved that a healthy lifestyle can prevent up to half of all cancers - and regular exercise forms a key part of this. Cancer Research UK recommends maintaining a healthy body weight, eating sensibly and taking regular exercise as key to a healthy life - along with avoiding smoking.