A collection of Canadian researchers published a seminal study following a set of 889 individuals after they underwent chemotherapy for colon cancer.
Over a 3 year period, half the participants received health education materials and half the participants underwent a structured exercise program with a coach. The coach met with patients every few weeks for three years, helping them establish and maintain an exercise regimen including walking, biking, kayaking, skiing, swimming, or running. They aimed for the equivalent of at least three 45- to 60-minute walks each week.
Eight years on, the intervention group saw a 28% reduction in cancer recurrence and 37% fewer deaths (study summary).
One of central tenets of Peter Attia’s book is that exercise is, by a distance, the most effective drug we know for a healthy life.
It is heartening to see randomized controlled trials that push for exercise-based interventions like this – and, of course, wonderful to see the results.
