Cancer Survivors: Move More, Sit Less for a Longer Life

[David Baxter PhD]

Cancer Survivors: Move More, Sit Less for a Longer Life, Study Says

Cancer survivors who spend more than 8 hours of the day sitting are 5 times more likely to die over the ensuing years than their peers who spend less time sitting.

www.medscape.com

Megan Brooks, Medscape
March 24, 2022

Cancer survivors who spend more than 8 hours of the day sitting are 5 times more likely to die over the ensuing years than their peers who spend less time sitting. Being physically active, on the other hand, lowers the risk of early death, new research shows.

What's "alarming" is that so many cancer survivors have a sedentary lifestyle, Chao Cao and Lin Yang, PhD, with Alberta Health Services in Calgary, Canada, who worked on the study, tell WebMD.

The American Cancer Society recommends that cancer survivors follow the same physical activity guidance as the general population. The target is 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity each week (or a combination of these).

"Getting to or exceeding the upper limit of 300 minutes is ideal," Cao and Lin say.

Yet in their study of more than 1,500 cancer survivors, more than half (57%) were inactive, reporting no weekly leisure-time physical activity in the past week.

About 16% were "insufficiently" active, or getting less than 150 minutes per week. Meanwhile, 28% were active, achieving more than 150 minutes of weekly physical activity.

Digging deeper, the researchers found that more than one-third of cancer survivors reported sitting for 6 to 8 hours each day, and one-quarter reported sitting for more than 8 hours per day.

Over the course of up to 9 years, 293 of the cancer survivors died -- 114 from cancer, 41 from heart diseases, and 138 from other causes.

After accounting for things that might influence the results, the risk of dying from any cause or cancer was about 65% lower in cancer survivors who were physically active, relative to their inactive peers.

Sitting for long periods was especially risky, according to the study in JAMA Oncology.

Compared with cancer survivors who sat for less than 4 hours each day, cancer survivors who reported sitting for more than 8 hours a day had nearly twice the risk of dying from any cause and more than twice the risk of dying from cancer.

Cancer survivors who sat for more than 8 hours a day, and were inactive or not active enough, had as much as five times the risk of death from any cause or cancer.

"Be active and sit less, move more, and move frequently," advise Cao and Yang. "Avoiding prolonged sitting is essential for most cancer survivors to reduce excess mortality risks."

Sources​

1. JAMA Oncology: "Association of Daily Sitting Time and Leisure-Time Physical Activity With Survival Among US Cancer Survivors."
2. Lin Yang, PhD, epidemiologist, Department Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Canada.
3. Chao Cao, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Canada.

American Cancer Society: "American Cancer Society Guideline for Diet and Physical Activity."

 

[Daniel E.]

Why we should sit less

There is increasing evidence that spending too much time sitting is bad for your health.

www.nhs.uk

Adults​

Adults aged 19 to 64 are advised to try to sit down less throughout the day, including at work, when travelling and at home.

Tips to reduce sitting time:

• stand on the train or bus
• take the stairs and walk up escalators
• set a reminder to get up every 30 minutes
• place a laptop on a box or similar to work standing
• stand or walk around while on the phone
• take a walk break every time you take a coffee or tea break
• walk to a colleague's desk instead of emailing or calling
• swap some TV time for more active tasks or hobbies

Get more tips on getting active and staying healthy at work.

Older people​

Some older people (aged 60 and over) are known to spend 9 hours or more each day sitting.

Tips to reduce sitting time:

• avoid long periods sat in front of a TV or computer
• stand up and move during TV advert breaks
• stand or walk while on the phone
• use the stairs as much as possible
• take up active hobbies such as gardening and DIY
• join in community-based activities, such as dance classes and walking groups
• take up active play with grandchildren, if you have them
• do most types of housework

Get more tips on getting active

 

[Daniel E.]

So standing in line at McDonald's (for potassium-rich fries) can be a healthier alternative to sitting at the drive thru

 

[Daniel E.]

Massage is another alternative to sitting

Information – –Focus Massage Therapy

www.focusmassagetherapy.ca

Everyday my work permits me the opportunity to help people feel better by incorporating massage therapy to handle stress, prevent injuries as well as manage the effects of cancer treatments.

“We bestow thoughtful care upon inanimate objects, but none upon ourselves. What a robust people, what a nation of thinkers we might be, if we would only lay ourselves on the shelf occasionally and renew our edges!”

~ Mark Twain