Morning and Afternoon Workouts Slash Colorectal Cancer Risk, New Research Finds

A recent study revealed that exercising once in the morning and once in the afternoon most effectively lowers the risk of colorectal cancer.

The findings, which investigated the impact of exercise timing on colorectal cancer risk, were published in BMC Medicine.

Regular exercise keeps our bodies healthy and protects us from various diseases. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fewer than one in four Americans meet the recommended aerobic and strength training exercise.

Lack of exercise increases the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and makes the body more susceptible to various cancers. Previous studies have shown that people who exercise less have a higher risk of bladder, breast, colon, endometrial, esophageal, and stomach cancers compared to those who exercise more. Among these, colorectal cancer is known to have the strongest link to physical activity.

Researchers from the University of Regensburg in Germany analyzed exercise and medical data from 86,252 adults in the U.K. Biobank to investigate how the timing of exercise throughout the day influences the risk of developing colorectal cancer.

The exercise data, collected through accelerometers, categorized exercise timing into four types: all-day sustained exercise, afternoon exercise, morning and afternoon exercise, and afternoon and evening exercise.

These exercise timing types were also related to overall lifestyle health. Those who exercised in both the morning and afternoon had the healthiest lifestyles, with higher activity levels, lower rates of alcohol consumption and smoking, and less time spent sitting throughout the day.

The study found that exercise lowers the risk of colorectal cancer overall.

By exercise timing, people who exercised in both the morning and afternoon saw the most significant reduction in colorectal cancer risk at 11%. This was followed by those who exercised in the afternoon with a 7% reduction and those with all-day sustained exercise at 6%. However, those who exercised in the afternoon and evening did not show a significant reduction in colorectal cancer risk.

Based on these results, the researchers concluded that exercising throughout the day, especially in the morning and afternoon, most effectively reduces the risk of colorectal cancer.