Being physically active isn’t just good for your heart or weight—it might also lower your risk of getting serious types of cancer in your digestive system.
A new long-term study published in JAMA Oncology has found that regular physical activity is linked to a lower chance of developing digestive system cancers and dying from them.
Digestive system cancers (DSCs) include cancers of the stomach, colon, liver, pancreas, and other organs that help process food. These cancers are among the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, so finding ways to prevent them is very important.
The research was led by Dr. Yiwen Zhang from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. The team looked at health and exercise data from three major studies in the United States: the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, the Nurses’ Health Study, and the Nurses’ Health Study II.
These studies followed 231,067 men and women for up to 32 years, collecting detailed information about their health and lifestyle.
Over the course of the study, there were 6,538 cases of digestive cancers and 3,791 deaths caused by these cancers. The researchers found that people who were more physically active had a lower risk of developing digestive cancers and a lower risk of dying from them.
In particular, those who did at least 45 “MET hours” of physical activity per week had much better outcomes compared to people who did less than 3 MET hours per week.
MET stands for “metabolic equivalent task” and is a way of measuring how much energy is used during physical activity. For example, walking at a normal pace for one hour equals about 3 MET hours. So 45 MET hours a week could be about 15 hours of walking, or fewer hours of more intense activities like running or swimming.
People who maintained at least 16.9 MET hours of activity per week over many years also saw a big benefit—a 17% lower risk of developing digestive cancers compared to those who barely exercised.
Interestingly, the researchers found that doing even more exercise (38.5 MET hours per week) didn’t lead to much more benefit, suggesting that moderate levels of activity over time may be enough.
Dr. Christine Molmenti, a cancer expert from Northwell Health in New York, said the study shows that being consistent with exercise is key. You don’t need to overdo it. Doing a moderate amount of physical activity regularly for years can make a big difference.
This study supports current health guidelines that recommend regular moderate exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle. It also gives hope that even people who don’t do intense workouts can still protect their health by staying active in everyday ways—like walking, gardening, or cycling.
Of course, this study was based on observation, so it can’t prove that exercise directly causes the lower cancer risk. But with over three decades of data and thousands of people included, the link is strong and hard to ignore.
In short, staying active throughout life—not just in short bursts—can help lower the chances of getting digestive cancers and may even help you live longer. It’s another reason to make physical activity part of your routine, even if it’s just a little bit at a time.
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The study is published in JAMA Oncology.
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