New evidence shows us just how directly exercise helps the body fight cancer
We’re not learning anything new when we hear that exercise is great for you. You can probably rattle off the benefits in your sleep: improves health, cognition, mood, extends life. Experts have been telling us this for years.
But now, a newly published study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that regular physical activity extends the lives of colon cancer survivors.
What makes this study different is the study structure. In the past, similar research linking exercise and cancer outcomes were conducted through observational studies. Researchers observed outcomes and questioned participants about past habits. This type of study can suggest correlations and associations, but not definite cause and effect.
This new study was a randomized trial. Randomized trials can more definitively identify causation. Participants are randomly assigned to groups and researchers can balance outside factors accordingly. This is the first study that has looked at how exercise impacts cancer survival and recurrence rates.
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