It’s no secret physical activity provides many benefits for your health and wellbeing. But did you know being physically active can reduce your cancer risk? One in two Australians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, so it’s crucial to understand how your lifestyle can affect your risk (1).
One in three cancer cases are preventable
Being physically active is an important step you can take to lower your cancer risk and improve overall health and quality of life.
In Australia, physical inactivity was responsible for 2.1% of the total disease burden on the population in 2024. It is also linked to the burden of 14.9% of uterine cancers, 10.7% of bowel cancers and 2.8% of breast cancers (2).
However, in 2022, over 1 in 3 Australian adults were insufficiently active, meaning they did not meet the physical activity component of the national guidelines. Among those insufficiently active, 1 in 4 did no physical activity in the week prior to the survey (3).
When it comes to cancer risk in Australia, approximately one in three cancer diagnoses could have been prevented by changes to lifestyle risk factors (4), including:
- Doing regular physical activity
- Being smoke free
- Using sun and UV protection
- Limiting alcohol consumption
- Eating a healthy diet (4)
Treatment is more successful when cancer is found early. You can help find cancer early by knowing your body, talking to your doctor about any changes, and participating in national cancer screening programs (4).
Physical activity can prevent up to 13 cancers
Research shows that physical activity reduces the risk of up to 13 types of cancer (5). Strong evidence indicates that physical activity lowers the risk of bowel cancer and probably reduces the risk of post-menopausal breast and endometrial cancers (6).
How does physical activity prevent cancer?
There are many ways physical activity can prevent cancer. It can reduce circulating oestrogen levels, insulin resistance and inflammation, which when raised, have been linked to the development of cancer (7). Being active is also linked to improving immunity, where cancerous or precancerous cells are identified and cleared by the body before they can cause damage (7). Aerobic exercise (like a brisk walk or cycling) helps reduce free radicals (harmful molecules) in your body and boosts repair of damaged DNA in your cells (7). Too many free radicals in your body can damage cells and increase cancer risk.
Physical activity can also have an indirect effect on lowering cancer risk. Being active can reduce fat in the body, especially visceral fat (6). This is the fat around your stomach and close to your vital organs.
“It is important to remember the benefits of physical activity are greater than the cancer risk reduced by losing weight (8). Physical activity is beneficial for everyone, regardless of their body composition.”
How much physical activity should I do?
For general health, the weekly amount of activity recommended for adults in Australia's Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines is:
- 150-300 minutes of moderate physical activity; or
- 75-150 minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity (9, 10).
To reduce the risk of some cancers, the advice is to aim for the higher end of the guidelines above (10).
This aligns with the evidence of dose-response relationships between increasing physical activity and reducing cancer risk (8). This means the more exercise you do, the more you can reduce your risk.
These recommendations are for adults who are 18 to 64 years old. There are physical activity guidelines for other populations, such as children, older Australians, or people with a disability. You can find them on the Australian Government’s website.
What about sedentary behaviour and cancer risk?
Two 2014 studies suggest that sedentary behaviour may increase the risk of bowel, endometrial and lung cancers (10). There is also strong evidence that greater screen time can lead to weight gain, which can indirectly increase cancer risk (6).
The current Australian recommendation is to limit your sedentary behaviour to reduce your cancer risk (10). In Australia, there is no defined time for this. However, the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines can provide an indication for general health and wellbeing:
“Limit sedentary time to 8 hours or less per day including no more than 3 hours of recreational screen time and breaking up long periods of sitting where possible (11).”
Physical activity post-cancer diagnosis
Physical activity can improve the quality of life for cancer patients and survivors. This includes improvement in mental health and energy (12). Physical activity post-cancer diagnosis is not discussed in this article.
For more information or support contact 13 11 20 or explore this resource: Exercise for People Living with Cancer.
What can I do today to lower my cancer risk?
If you’d like to kickstart your journey to lowering your cancer risk, moving more is a powerful choice to make. Doing any physical activity is better than doing none. If you currently do no physical activity, start by doing some, and gradually build up to the recommended amount. For maximum benefit, aim to achieve the higher end of the guidelines and be active on most, preferably all days, every week:
- 150-300 minutes of moderate physical activity; or
- 75-150 minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity
Another key tool to support you is understanding where you currently stand. You can find out more about how physical activity and other lifestyle behaviours can influence your cancer risk by using Cancer Council Queensland’s Cancer Risk Calculator. The Calculator assesses how you are currently reducing your cancer risk through the following lifestyle behaviours:
- UV & Sun Exposure
- Smoking
- Alcohol
- Nutrition
- Weight
- Physical Activity
- Screening & Early Detection
At the end of the Calculator, you’ll receive an individual score for each of six modifiable behaviours. Explore your results, get tips, and compare your score over time and to the population average.
Additional Resources:
Cancer Council QLD (cancerqld.org.au)
Cancer Risk Calculator
Sun Safety - What is your practice like?
6 Steps to Better Sun Safe Practice
Cancer Council SA (cancersa.org.au)
Be SunSmart
About the Author
Janet Clarke is a Senior Advisor for Prevention and Early Detection at Cancer Council Queensland. She holds a Master's degree in Public Health with a specialisation in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, and a Bachelor's degree in Exercise and Nutrition Sciences from the University of Queensland. With experience spanning not-for-profit organisations, hospital nutrition, and corporate health, Janet is a subject matter expert in cancer prevention and early detection.
References:
- Cancer Council Queensland. Fact Sheets [Internet]. Cancer Council Queensland. Available from: https://cancerqld.org.au/research/queensland-cancer-statistics/fact-sheets/
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Australian Burden of Disease Study 2024 [Internet]. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare; 2024 [cited 2024 Dec 17]. Available from: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/burden-of-disease/australian-burden-of-disease-study-2024
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Physical activity [Internet]. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare; 2024 [cited 2024 Dec 17]. Available from: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/physical-activity/physical-activity
- Whiteman DC, Webb PM, Green AC, Neale RE, Fritschi L, Bain CJ, et al. Cancers in Australia in 2010 attributable to modifiable factors: summary and conclusions. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2015 Oct;39(5):477-84. doi: 10.1111/1753-6405.12471. PMID: 26437735; PMCID: PMC4606779.
- Moore SC, Lee I, Weiderpass E, et al. Association of Leisure-Time Physical Activity With Risk of 26 Types of Cancer in 1.44 Million Adults. JAMA Intern Med. 2016;176(6):816-25. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.1548
- World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research. Diet, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Cancer: a Global Perspective. Continuous Update Project Expert Report 2018 [Internet]. Available from: https://dietandcancerreport.org
- World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research. Continuous Update Project Expert Report 2018: Physical activity and the risk of cancer [Internet]. 2018 [cited 2024 Dec 19]. Available from: https://dietandcancerreport.org
- Cancer Council Australia. Links between cancer and weight, nutrition, and physical activity [Internet]. 2024 [cited 2024 Dec 19]. Available from: https://www.cancer.org.au/about-us/policy-and-advocacy/prevention/obesity/links-between-cancer-and-weight-nutrition-and-physical-activity
- Australian Government Department of Health. Physical activity and exercise guidelines for all Australians [Internet]. 2024 [cited 2024 Dec 19]. Available from: https://www.health.gov.au/topics/physical-activity-and-exercise/physical-activity-and-exercise-guidelines-for-all-australians
- Cancer Australia. Physical activity and sedentary behaviour [Internet]. 2024 [cited 2024 Dec 19]. Available from: https://www.canceraustralia.gov.au/resources/position-statements/lifestyle-risk-factors-and-primary-prevention-cancer/lifestyle-risk-factors/physical-activity-and-sedentary-behaviour
- Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. CSEP | SCPE [Internet]. 2017. Available from: https://csepguidelines.ca/
- Cancer Council. A guide for people with cancer, their families and friends Exercise for People Living with Cancer [Internet]. 2007. Available from: https://www.cancer.org.au/assets/pdf/exercise-for-people-living-with-cancer