Dr. Kerry Courneya

And exercise has been shown to reduce the risk

You know, maybe 8 to 10 of those cancers.

There's over 100 different types of cancer.

So it's a very complicated disease, all different cancer types.

But we now have evidence suggesting that exercise will lower the risk of getting some of those cancers, particularly colon cancer.

breast cancer, endometrial cancer, and several other cancers as well, such as stomach cancer, esophageal cancer, and a few others.

So yes, some evidence that these lifestyle chances really can reduce your risk of getting cancer.

So for sure, if you're a smoker, that's absolutely the best thing you can do is quit smoking.

And you can really substantially reduce your risk by quitting smoking.

And it has fairly correct benefits in terms of lowering cancer rates.

If you're obese, then yes, quit.

Going on a weight loss program and reducing obesity would be the biggest thing.

If you're a heavy drinker, then that's going to be a key thing.

Assuming you're none of the above, you're not particularly overweight or smoking or drinking heavily, then I think exercise really is next on the list.

And the general recommendation is the public health guidelines of about 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous intensity aerobic exercise.

Some evidence has suggested muscular strength training can lower the risk of some of these cancers as well.

But most of the recommendations are really around sort of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity.

I don't think there's large differences in terms of the length.

So, you know, ultimately exercise is energy expenditure.

So you're causing the system to engage in energy expenditure and that has a whole sort of cascade of biological effects that occur.