subject: Prevent And Treat Cancer With Proper Exercise [print this page] The most feared of the modern chronic lifestyle diseases is cancer. Every family has been touched in some way by this killer disease. It is called a 'lifestyle' disease because it is caused by the way we live our lives, by what we do and do not do every single day in our lives, particularly in the areas of proper exercise and nutrition.
We know that exercise is crucial to help prevent heart disease and diabetes and that becoming overweight promotes these things but most of us are unaware that up to 50 percent of cancers are due to being overweight and not enough proper exercise to keep the metabolism (the body's engine) strong and healthy.
The muscular system makes up to 50 percent of body weight and keeping it strong also keeps the immune system strong protecting against cancer and other killer diseases. Strong muscles are healthy muscles which are crucial for optimal immune system protection in two major ways:
Muscle tissue is the storage sites for the amino acid glutamine which is the fuel source for the immune system.
Muscle tissue is where protein is stored which is the building blocks to produce new antibodies and white blood cells to fight off infections along with seeking and killing stray cancer cells.
Weak flabby muscles cannot store as much of these materials as strong toned muscles and it is prudent to have reserves to draw on when needed. Fighting illness uses up these reserves at a faster than normal rate.
Proper exercise that involves working the muscles with strength training exercise helps reduce 'intra-abdominal' fat deep inside the abdomen often wrapped around organs hindering their functioning. This dangerous fat raises blood insulin levels which promote the growth of cancer cells.
You are at risk if your waist measurement is over 35 inches for a woman and 40 inches for a man. You do not even have to be overweight on the bathrooms scales to have this hidden fat inside of you. Excess weight can creep up and it may only be just one or two pounds a year but that can add up to dangerous levels over a lifetime.
Just 2-3 sessions each week of strength training exercise can reduce the level of risk of dying of cancer by up to 40 percent. New research suggests that muscular strength is equally as important as healthy eating and maintaining a healthy bodyweight when it comes to protecting your body from deadly cancer.
Strength training exercise is considered so beneficial that even people who already have the disease and are undergoing cancer treatment are being encouraged to begin or resume a proper exercise program. Not only is this considered safe and practical as it improves physical, mental and emotional functioning thereby improving quality of life.
It is hard to understand that although we know most of this information only 8 out of 10 people do enough strength building and maintaining activity. Most people 'don't have time'. Yet faced with a diagnosis of a deadly disease like cancer suddenly they find the time to be concerned about their health.
We wait until our bodies have become so broken down and ill before we even give them a passing thought. This is like never changing the oil in your car and letting the engine seize up completely before doing anything about it. Don't wait till this point is reached, start now so you can not only live longer, you can avoid health problems and just look and feel better.
