Best times of the day to work out for cutting bowel cancer risk

Colorectal cancer or bowel cancer is one of the most common cancer risks for people above the age of 45. It is the fourth most common cancer seen among the people. It begins as an abnormal growth in the colon where the polyps can develop into cancer. It may take years before any symptoms are noticeable.

A recent study in the UK Biobank stated that the risk of bowel cancer can be reduced with exercise at specific hours during the day. The research was conducted on 86,000 participants and scientists have identified two best times of day to reduce the cancer risk by exercising.

How to reduce the risk of cancer?

The study findings mentioned that the daily peaks in workouts or exercises at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. can reduce the risk of cancer. The research added the reduction in cancer risk, particularly for colorectal cancer, goes beyond the general benefits of physical activity. Reportedly, workouts at these specific times may lower the risk of cancer by 11%.

Analyzing the data in the UK, the study found that adults aged between 25 to 49 from the years 1990 to 2012 were diagnosed with bowel cancer in large numbers and the incidence has increased by one fifth. Prof Dr Michael Leiztmann - the lead investigator of bowel cancer risk study said that they identified two specific times - early morning and late day with physical activity is very beneficial for the body as it is targeted at the prevention of many diseases.

Symptoms of bowel cancer ?

Bowel cancer symptoms are often not persistent, but one possible indicator is an increase in the number of bowel movements, often accompanied by loose stools. Blood in stools and stomach pain are some common symptoms that indicate bowel cancer. Surgery is the only treatment for either early or advanced colon cancer. If cancer has already been spread to lymph nodes, chemotherapy will be given only after surgery as radiation does not help early colon cancer.

Why does the specific time of 8 am & 6 pm matter?

Early morning body exercises are meant to be good for cardiac rhythm and to start and end the day with activeness which is less related to disrupting the circadian rhythm. The study also found that being active at this time can pave the way to finding potential to develop more specific recommendations including patterns that can reduce cancer risk.

Bowel Babe
Bowel cancer though is the 4th common cancer, it was not a diagnosis many spoke about. It is important to often check if you are affected by bowel cancer. BBC TV presenter Dame Deborah James wrote and spoke about her bowel cancer diagnosis in 2018. Calling the show "Bowel Babe", James campaigned to raise the bowel cancer checks. Unfortunately, she passed away in June 2022.



Other measures to reduce bowel cancer risk
The study also suggests a few other measures that may reduce the risk of developing bowel cancer -
1. Increasing physical activity
2. Keeping healthy weight
3. Eating low diet animal fat
4. Intake of fruits, vegetables and whole grains
5. Limiting alcohol consumption and reducing smoking habits.