A new report argues that all patients getting cancer treatment should be told to do two and a half hours of physical exercise every week. It states that advice to rest and take it easy after treatment is an outdated view.
Research has shown that exercise can reduce the risk of dying from cancer and minimize the side effects of treatment. Exercise is safe during and after most types of cancer treatment.
BBC News reports:
"Getting active, the report says, can help people overcome the effects of cancer and its treatments, such as fatigue and weight gain ... Previous research shows that exercising to the recommended levels can reduce the risk of breast cancer recurring by 40 percent. For prostate cancer the risk of dying from the disease is reduced by up to 30 percent. Bowel cancer patients' risk of dying from the disease can be cut by around 50 percent by doing around six hours of moderate physical activity a week."
