Exercise 'Cuts Womb Cancer Risk'

Exercise 'Cuts Womb Cancer Risk'

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We've heard all the advice about how exercise may reduce your risk for breast cancer. And now experts think keeping active could make you less likely to develop endometrial (womb) cancer too.

Writing in the British Journal of Cancer, experts from the US-based National Cancer Institute suggest women who keep active are 30% less likely to develop endometrial cancer than those who do little to no exercise.

But the reason may not be the exercise itself, rather that it burns calories and reduces body fat. And that's thought to help because excess body fat can lead to higher levels of hormones, which experts reckon raise your risk of certain types of cancer.

It's yet another incentive to get down the gym, since endometrial cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women (7,500 new cases are diagnosed in the UK each year).

The experts admit they still don't know how much exercise you should do in order to protect yourself. What they do know, however, is that if you sit for more than nine hours a day your risk of endometrial cancer is double that of someone who only sits for three hours or less.That's not great news for anyone who has an office job then goes home and slobs out in front of the telly every night.

Keeping on your feet as often as possible may help - for instance, make sure you get up from your desk and stretch your legs at least once every hour.

Do you think studies like these are helpful? Have they ever encouraged you to make lifestyle changes, such as exercising more? We'd love to know.

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