“In women, adolescent exercise participation, regardless of adult exercise, was associated with reduced risk of cancer and all-cause mortality. Our results support the importance of promoting exercise participation in adolescence to reduce mortality in later life and highlight the critical need for the initiation of disease prevention early in life.” – Sarah J Nechuta (source)
Exercise and staying physically active is important for anybody at any age. However, new reports suggest that young women who exercise in their teen years have a reduced cancer risk in adulthood. A group of adult women were selected to do in-person interviews, and during the process, they were questioned on how much they exercised when they were teens. Additional questions were asked regarding their lifestyles now as adults. The researchers asking the series of questions followed these women for 13 years and examined exactly how many of them died from cardiovascular diseases, cancer and other various causes (source).
This data can be contributed to the increasing evidence that exercising regularly contributes to a reduced risk of dying from specific types of cancers. New research led by Sarah J. Nechuta, assistant professor of medicine at Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center in Tennessee, illustrates that exercising while in your adolescent years lowers the risk of cancer and other deadly diseases later on in life.
However, being more physically active was not linked with any additional benefit, in terms of longevity. Exercising for at least 80 minutes a week reduced the chances of cancer by 16% and a 15% reduction in all-cause disease, compared to those who were not exercising regularly as teenagers. The study of 75,000 middle-aged women found those who played sports as a teenager were 14% less likely to die from cancer and 10% less likely to die from any cause, than those who did not.
The authors stated that this study might have some errors, due to some of the women not being able to accurately remember whether or not they engaged in exercise at an earlier life stage. Out of these, around 2,300 were from cancer and 1,600 from cardiovascular disease. The results support the importance of promoting exercise participation in adolescence to reduce mortality in adult life and highlight the critical need for the initiation of disease prevention early in life.
“This is the first large prospective study among Asian women to look at adolescent exercise and mortality”, Nechuta said.
While the study found an association between mortality risks and exercise, it is not clear whether or not weekly exercise during adolescence can actually lower mortality later on in life. “Future studies with more detailed adolescent physical activity assessments and studies in other populations are needed”, she said.
Fitness Tips – Exercises For Women
Side Plank – This exercise can help tighten and shrink your waistline. It works the deep abdominal muscles (obliques, transverse abdominus) that many abs exercises don’t reach.
Cardio Intervals – Choose any piece of cardio equipment (elliptical, jump rope, treadmill, bike, etc) and repeat the following pattern 10 times total:
3 minutes at 50 percent of your maximum effort
20 seconds at 75 percent of your maximum effort
10 seconds at your absolute maximum effort
It is becoming more and more evident that fitness should be a “Lifelong” goal for everyone. If it has the possibility of slowing or preventing cancer, it’s worth every minute!
Guest Writer,
Stephen
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