Physical Activity

Staying active throughout the day can help you feel better and reduce your risk for diseases like cancer. Exercise reduces your risk for cancer because:
 

• It helps you maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese is linked to 13 different types of cancer.
• It helps regulate your hormones. Increased levels of some hormones can increase your cancer risk.
• It supports healthy digestion and may reduce the number of toxins in your body.

How to add physical activity to your day

Sit less.  Get up and move for at least one to two minutes every hour that you are awake. Extended periods of sitting increase your cancer risk, even if you exercise regularly. Sitting too much also increases your risk for obesity, which leads to cancer and other chronic diseases. 

Schedule exercise. Plan where, when and how you will exercise. And build up gradually. 

The American Institute for Cancer Research recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes vigorous exercise each week. Moderate exercise is activities like brisk walking where you should still be able to hold a conversation, but you won't be able to sing. Vigorous exercise means activities like running, where you'd only be able to say a few words without feeling out of breath. 

It’s best to do a combination of both, and you don’t have to do it all at one time. You can split up your activity into short intervals of as little as 10 minutes.

Make sure you include strength training

Build Strength. If your body is strong, everyday tasks are easier. And you are less likely to get injured. Strength training, also called resistance training, should be done twice a week.

Strength training also helps you maintain a healthy weight by building muscle, which boosts your metabolism. 

Reward yourself. Keep yourself motivated by celebrating success. Small weekly rewards could include a new song download for workouts, a manicure or a trip to see a movie. You can also make exercise something to look forward to by adding in guilty pleasures like while you work out.  Rewards will help you keep to your goals over time.