There are many reasons to start a new cardio workout regimen, but here’s another one for good measure (brought to you by science).
Scientists have found that people who do vigorous exercise have a 30% lower chance of getting non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma compared with those who do light exercise or none at all.
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma constitutes about 4% of all cancer diagnoses, making it one of the most common types of cancer.
The study even suggests that as well as your sweat sessions doing wonders for that summer beach bod, the positive benefits of high intensity activities continue throughout your lifetime.
Researchers asked over 800 cancer patients about the rate and intensity of their exercise prior to their diagnosis. The results clearly indicated that any type of exercise, regardless of intensity, led to lower instances of cancer. However, those who reported having a more intense exercise regimen showed a significantly greater reduction in cancer.
As for the ones who did the most strenuous exercises (like sprinting or spinning), they were 30% less likely to develop lymphoma.
But on the off-chance that you do get cancer, cardio exercise still offers protective benefits.
In another study, researchers found that fast walking or slow jogging allowed cancer patients to respond better to chemotherapy and radiation treatments. The side effects of these treatments, such as low blood count and tiredness, were also minimized. How come, you ask?
Low-intensity exercise was found to help make tumors less aggressive by flooding them with oxygen.
Way to go, O2!
So before you plop down on your extremely-inviting couch and skip that cardio workout, try to remember: cancer cells don’t take cheat days.
(h/t: shape.com)