Exercise can reduce the risk of dying from cancer, boost recovery and may even prevent the disease from recurring, a report says.
Yet many cancer survivors could be at greater risk of serious long term health problems, because they are unaware of the importance of physical activity to their recovery.
Traditionally cancer patients have been advised to “rest up” and “take it easy” after cancer treatment, but the report, Move More, by Macmillan Cancer Support, says this approach is outdated and could actually put patients at risk.
Currently, cancer patients are advised to undertake 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week.
Ciaran Devane, chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “Cancer patients would be shocked if they knew just how much of a benefit physical activity could have on their recovery and long term health, in some cases reducing their chances of having to go through the gruelling ordeal of treatment all over again.
Exercise
“It doesn’t need to be anything too strenuous, doing the gardening, going for a brisk walk or a swim all count.
“Health professionals can refer patients to a variety of services such as physiotherapy, specialist exercise programmes at leisure centres or walking groups.”
The report points to research that shows that following the recommended levels of exercise cuts a woman’s risk of breast cancer recurrence and dying from the disease by 40 per cent, and reduces a man’s risk of dying from prostate cancer by around 30 per cent.
Six hours of physical activity a week has also been shown to reduce the risk of dying from the disease by about 50 per cent in both sexes.
Exercise also reduces the risk of side effects from cancer and its treatment including fatigue, depression, osteoporosis and heart disease, the report states.
Dr Jane Maher, chief medical officer of Macmillan Cancer Support and a leading clinical oncologist. said: “The advice that I would have previously have given to one of my patients would have been to ‘take it easy’.
“This has now changed significantly because of the recognition that if physical exercise were a drug, it would be hitting the headlines.
“There really needs to be a cultural change, so that health professionals see physical activity as an integral part of cancer after care, not just a optional add-on.”
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Academics estimate that just two and a half hours of cycling or brisk walking every week is enough to lower heart disease risk by 14 per cent.
However they add that people who do even more exercise will be healthier.
The Department of Health recommends that adults carry out at least 150 minutes of “moderate-intensity aerobic activity” each week as well as “muscle-strengthening activities” twice a week.
Jacob Sattelmair, of the Department of Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health in America, said: “The overall findings of the study corroborate federal guidelines – even a little bit of exercise is good, but more is better – 150 minutes of exercise per week is beneficial, 300 minutes per week will give even more benefits.”
His paper, published in the journal Circulation, looked at 33 previous academic studies of physical activity and heart disease, nine of which measured leisure activity quantitatively.
Analysis suggested that those who engaged in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week had a 14 per cent lower risk of coronary heart disease than those who reported taking part in no exercise.
However those who took more exercise had an even lower risk.