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Get physical - family health update - regular exercise reduces risk of cancer - Brief Article
Plunge into exercise--at least 30 minutes per day five or more days each week--and lower your chances of developing many types of cancer.
While you're at it, get your kids moving too. Children and teens need to be active for at least one hour a day five or more days each week, says Tim Byers, M.D., professor of preventive medicine at the University of Colorado Health Science Center and a national volunteer for the American Cancer Society.
Physical activity accelerates the movement of food through the digestive system, which reduces the time that the lining of the bowel is exposed to potentially cancer-causing substances. In addition, it's believed that exercise decreases the amount of exposure of breast tissue to circulating estrogen, and this may lower the risk of breast cancer.
The American Cancer Society offers its newest prevention guidelines in the publication "Choices for Good Health," which is available by calling 800/227-2345 or logging onto www.cancer.org.
For information about cancer-fighting foods, turn to "Take 5 at the Very Least" on page 282.