Is exercise really better than drugs for cancer remission? It’s an appealing idea – but it’s misleading | Devi Sridhar

YMaybe he saw ou Modern newspapers addresses In a new study on exercise and recovery of cancer, it indicates that “exercise is better than a drug” in preventing the return of cancer. A tablet of a wave of comments that put a “great pharma” against fitness, as if we had to choose between grains and panels. It is an attractive story – but it is also misleading.

We do not need to choose between the two. In fact, the best health results come from combining medicine with a wider health vision that includes movement, diet, social communication and mental luxury.

Let’s think what the studyIt was published in the New England magazine, really looked. It focused on colon cancer-the third largest common cancer and the second main cause of cancer-related deaths around the world. Between 2009 and 2024, the researchers held a random experience across 55 centers – especially in Australia and Canada – where 889 patients who underwent colon cancer surgery, who completed chemotherapy, were randomly. Over the course of a three -year period, one group received an organized exercise program (a group of exercises consisting of 445 patients) and the other received health education materials alone (the 444 patient health education group).

One thing you may have registered here is that all patients received chemotherapy after cancer surgery. So nothing about the experience puts a face exercise to face with cancer medications. Instead, they asked about the type of exercise after surgery and chemotherapy may improve public health, and may prevent cancer from repetition.

The organized exercise group has received health education materials, such as the exercise guide for survivors of colon cancer, and support for a three -year accredited trainer. In the first six months, they received 12 mandatory behavioral support sessions, 12 mandatory exercise sessions under supervision in addition to 12 overseeing exercise sessions. Over the next two and a half years, the frequency of personal sessions and the news has slowly supervised to help patients move to more independent practice procedures. On the other hand, the health education group only received general health education materials on the benefits of physical activity and a healthy diet.

On average average for approximately eight years, survival was much longer in the organized exercise group (90.3 %) compared to the health education group (83.2 %). Both groups have increased their physical activity over the three years, but the organized exercise group achieved the goal of increasing mild to strong physical activity. This almost added to their current activity levels, about an hour of walking three to four times a week, or for 30 minutes, three to four times a week. The best health results can also be linked to the social communication that patients had in the exercise group, given that they are registered in an organized and honorable program with a personal trainer to support them and not leave them alone.

What surprised me, and the authors, from their study is that knowledge alone – even among those who had colon cancer and advised to exercise – is not enough to change the levels of activity. The structure, supervision and social communication issue. It is easy to ask “move more”. In fact, changing your habits – especially after cancer treatment – is difficult. This transition requires training, encouragement, support and time to build confidence.

We have long known that a physical and social life in general can be very effective in staving off the disease, and even cancer. What this study actually gives us is some direction of the best way to achieve this, and take a look at the positive effects.

Perhaps I am biased as a personal trainer, but organized exercise is one of the best investments that you can make for your health – whether it is recovering from cancer or trying to prevent cancer. This should not be individual gym sessions, which can be expensive and uncommon for many. It can join the boot camps at reasonable prices in the garden – which costs what it costs in the morning – or free lessons in the reduced gym chains. In addition, you can configure some new friends and improve your social life as well. The real title is not that the exercise is better than the drugs to restore cancer. It is just telling people to move without providing support – that is, health education movement – is not enough.

• Professor Devy Sarridhar is the head of global public health at Edinburgh University, and the author of the book ” How do you not die (very soon)