Exercise not only keeps your body fit, but it also has a remarkable ability to protect your organs from cancer and prevent it from spreading.
A 20-year review published in the American Association for Cancer Research Journals, found that high-intensity exercise reduces the risk of metastatic cancer by more than 70 percent. The research was one of the first to examine the relationship between secondary cancer growths (metastases in areas like the lungs and liver) and exercise behaviors.
The scientists found that exercise appears to provide an “exercise-induced metabolic shield.” In other words, training at higher intensities increases the immune system’s ability to recognize and eliminate cancer cells. The study also suggests that high-intensity exercise makes it harder for cancer cells to survive and grow.
If you want to train like the scientists suggest, the name of the game is intensity, which means achieving at least 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. However, you can still protect your health, even if you can’t push as hard. Research suggests that even walking at a moderate to brisk pace can lead to a 20 percent reduction in the likelihood of cancer.
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