20 Sep Report says staying fit will reduce cancer risk

Here’s one of the best reasons ever for people to be physically fit throughout their lives: It will help prevent cancer.
The worst fear for any American is to be diagnosed with cancer, according to a 2000 survey. Unfortunately, that’s something out of every three women and one out of every two men will hear during their lifetime.
In a report presented to Congress by the American Association for Cancer Research some complex findings were unveiled.
One of the things that jumped out in the report was that prevention and public health efforts can go a long way toward preventing cancer.
Quitting smoking is the single biggest thing a person can do to improve their odds of not getting the dreaded cancer, which had had 17 forms of the disease directly linked to regular tobacco use.
However, avoiding a sedentary lifestyle and improving diet is also among the top things people can do to help attain better health.
Dr. Judy Garber, director of the Center for Cancer Genetics and Prevention at Dana-Farber and president of the AACR, told the Huffington Post that it’s a hopeful time for battling cancer.
“This is a solvable set of diseases,” Graber said, noting that in 2010 more than 570,000 people died of cancer in the United States, but there are also currently more than 12 million cancer survivors.
In order to avoid a sedentary lifestyle, a person can be considered getting enough exercise with as little as 30 minutes of activity three times a week. Even going for brisk walks during those time increments on a treadmill or outside, or riding an exercise bike can make a big difference.
Also, try to make healthier lifestyle choices when it comes to activity, such as planning active family time like going to the park or on a walk instead of sitting in front of the TV.
Even little things such as parking farther away from the door at the store, or using stairs instead of the elevator can help over time.
On a personal note, I’ve found that when I’m in a good workout groove it makes me more inclined to eat well. The two go hand in hand.
After a hard hour-long workout my body is feeling great and craving good food instead of fast food items.
It can all add up to people being physically fit, and now it turns out even warding off cancer.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com