New findings suggest men who have battled cancer and survived can extend their lives significantly by staying physical activity.
Many cancer survivors are living longer, due to earlier diagnosis and better treatment, and their numbers are increasing rapidly, according to the new study.
“Thus physical activity should be actively promoted to such individuals to enhance longevity,” concluded study authors in a press release.
Researchers examined data from the Harvard Alumni Health Study, an ongoing study of men who entered Harvard as undergraduates between 1916 and 1950.
They looked at 1,021 male cancer survivors with an average age of 71 years who previously had been diagnosed with cancer.
Researchers conducted a questionnaire in 1988 asking study participants about their physical activities. Participants then answered the same questionnaire in 1993. Overall, the study participants were followed until 2008.
Researchers found during the study period, those who burned more than 12,600 calories each week through physical activity were 48 percent less likely to die than counterparts who only burned fewer than 2,100 calories per week.
For example, a 176-pound man who walks briskly for 30 minutes a day, five days a week burns 4,200 calories during the week through physical activity.
There were similar findings for death from cancer and cardiovascular disease for the most physically active cancer survivors:
- They were 38 percent less likely to die of cancer
- They 49 percent less likely to die of cardiovascular disease
The new findings are published in the Journal of Physical Activity & Health.
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