There are so many incredible health benefits associated with exercising, that it's difficult to find just one you should focus on. From enjoying radiant skin, to simply having more energy to play with each day, it's no surprise that society has been looking for ways to live longer with exercise in the recent years. Still, if a slim stomach and a more active lifestyle wasn't enough to get you off the couch, recent studies have now confirmed that working out regularly can boost your immune system so significantly, that you may even lower your risk for thirteen different types of cancer.

The study follows on from research published by the LA Times, which found that at least fifty percent of the deaths most common in the United States could be forestalled or prevented if Americans managed to cut back on their drinking habits, quite smoking, and maintain a healthier weight with around 150 minutes of exercise each week.

Explaining the Research

If you're hoping to live longer with exercise, then it makes sense that you might want a bit of scientific proof backing up your motivation. Fortunately, research conducted by students at the National Cancer Institute, in Harvard Medical School, could be just what the doctor ordered. The school came together with various institutions around the world to collect information on 1.44 million women and men participating in 12 huge studies. From this gigantic pool of research, experts looked at how often each person exercised, and made notes about the frequency of cancer diagnoses.

When placed into a statistical model, the results showed that people who exercised regularly had a moderately lower risk of developing thirteen different types of cancer, when compared to people who lived a more sedentary lifestyle. The number of reduced health problems that active people faced led to fewer worrying symptoms too, including less likelihood of tumors in the bone marrow, bladder, stomach, kidney, and liver.

According to Steven Moore - the person running the investigation at the National Cancer Institute, the results can be explained by the fact that regular physical activity contributes to changes in digestion, hormone levels, and overall energy, all features which play a role in reducing cancer risk. Long story short: You really can live longer with exercise, and reduce your risk of cancer at the same time.

The Links Between Cancer and Exercise

The study mentioned above isn't the first piece of research to suggest that you may be able to reduce your risk of cancer by spending more time up, and active. In fact, over two dozen different studies have showed that women who exercise regularly have a thirty to forty percent lower risk of suffering from breast cancer than people who spend more time sitting down. In this particular situation, the hormone "estrogen" plays a role, as women with higher estrogen have higher risk levels for breast cancer. Since exercise reduces the amount of estrogen in your blood, it also lowers your cancer risk.

It's not just women that benefit either. Exercise also plays a key role in preventing cancer of the colon - a problem that impacts nearly 150,000 Americans every year. Nearly one third of those people die from the disease. Encouragingly, more than three dozen studies have begun to show that men and women alike can reduce their risk of colon cancer by 20% or more with frequent exercise. Because changes in things like body fat, insulin, and even digestive acids can all have an impact on your risk levels in association with colon cancer, regular exercise can help keep your body in the optimum condition for fighting off chronic illness and disease.

Live Longer with Exercise

Regular exercise is the key to a longer, and happier life. Even people who suffer with chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and joint pain can experience a more comfortable and convenient lifestyle if they begin a doctor-recommended exercise routine.

Although the fact that exercise may be able to reduce your risk of cancer is an exciting development in the world of health and fitness, it's worth remembering that it's also beneficial for a range of other reasons too. For instance, aerobic exercise can help you to improve your endurance and heart health, while assisting with weight loss for a stronger, slimmer body. Strength training can improve your endurance and muscle strength, and provide stability to joints that may help you to avoid slow declines in relation to age and disease. Even flexibility exercises can help you to get more motion out of your joints, so you can function at your best, whether you're walking, running, or simply taking the stairs.

According to national activity guidelines, you don't even have to do a lot of exercise if you want to start reaping the rewards. A useful goal to aim for is about thirty minutes a day throughout most days of the week.

Simple Ways to Exercise More

At Active Gear, we want to help you live longer with exercise, reduce your risk of cancer, and maintain your independence for as long as possible. That's why we're leaving you with a few simple ideas to help you become more active in the coming weeks. Try mixing and matching just a few of these, then let us know how you feel at the end of the next month - you might be surprised at the difference:

• Join a sports team
• Walk to work, rather than taking your car
• Go dancing with your partner
• Exercise during your lunch hour
• Hit the stairs instead of the elevator
• Wear a pedometer every day and watch your step-power increase
• Use a stationary bike or do sit-ups while watching TV.