Did you know that being physically active for at least 30 minutes 5 times a week reduces your risk of bowel cancer? Over 1,800 cases of bowel, breast (post-menopause) and endometrial cancer could be prevented each year if Australians were physically active for more than 150 minutes per week.
Did you know if you’ve had cancer, being physically active can help prevent it from coming back?
Besides fighting off weight gain and obesity, physical activity can reduce insulin and insulin-like growth factors which can promote the growth of cancer cells. Exercise also reduces exposure to dietary carcinogens (known to cause cancer) by speeding up food passing through the bowel.
To find out your cancer risk, take the Cancer Risk Quiz.
For maximum cancer prevention benefits, Cancer Council recommends aiming for at least 60 minutes of moderate or 30 minutes of vigorous physical activity every day. Doing any physical activity is better than doing none. If you currently do no physical activity, start by doing some and gradually build up to the recommended amount. But whatever you do, get active! It will reduce your risk of cancer.
Find out more about physical activity and cancer prevention.
Examples of physical activity:
