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Colorectal
Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer among both men and women in the United States. Fortunately,
diet and exercise can go a long way in preventing this and numerous other types of cancers.
Researchers have told us for over
half a century that regular physi-
cal activity helps control weight,
maintain strong bones, muscles and joints,
and reduces high blood pressure. Regular
physical activity also lowers the risk of
diabetes, death from heart disease and
risk of premature death. An added bonus
is that keeping active promotes psychologi- from all cancers in the United States.
cal well-being.
And if that is not enough to get us moti-
vated to move or to keep moving, recent
research indicates strongly that regular
physical activity is associated with a de-
creased risk of developing certain cancers. and those that can decrease that risk.
One such cancer is colorectal cancer, also
Fitness Center suggestions
for general physical fitness
Balanced Body • TD
Tuesday, Thursday 8 a.m.
Cardio Sculpt • TD
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8 a.m.
Lighten Up for Life
Summer Info Session:
Wednesday, May 4, 9:30 a.m.
Summer session: May 11 – July 27
Fall Info Session:
Wednesday, Aug. 24, 9:30 a.m.
Fall session: August 31 – Nov. 16
ONLINE: SCTEXAS.ORG
Cancer
Risk increases
with age;
no butts about it
By Diane Klutz
known as CRC.
Most if not all of us dread the C word,
especially breast cancer for us women and
prostate cancer for those men out there.
But colorectal cancer is just as deadly. Ac-
cording to the National Cancer Institute,
CRC is the second leading cause of death
I admit, talking about “down there” is a
little embarrassing. However, it is impor-
tant to at least be aware of those factors
that increase the risk of developing CRC
One factor that directly impacts Sun City
dwellers is age. As our years of life increase breast, and prostate cancers. The connec-
so does the risk for developing colorectal
cancer. Over 90% of all CRCs are diag-
nosed in persons over the age of 50, while
the average age for diagnoses is 72.
Male gender is considered a factor, but not
a significant one because men are only
at a slightly greater risk than women.
Family history of colorectal cancer in a
first-degree relative is a factor, especially
if diagnosed before the age of 55. This
association, however, only accounts for
about 5% of CRC diagnoses.
Unfortunately, we can’t do anything about
aging, gender or family history, but we
can do something about two other known
risks: cigarette smoking and obesity. Not
only do each of these increase the risk for
developing CRC, they also increase the
risk for dying from it.
Something we can do to decrease the risk
for developing colorectal cancer is engag-
ing in regular physical activity. Studies
conducted in the U.S. and around the
world have consistently found that adults
who increase their physical activity either
in frequency, duration or intensity were
able to reduce their risk for developing
CRC by 30 to 40% as compared to those
who were sedentary (NIH: National Can-
cer Institute).
According to the American Society of
Clinical Oncology, physical activity per-
formed on a regular basis decreases the
risk for developing other cancers, as well
as colorectal. These include lung, uterine,
tion is that exercise helps control weight
and reduces obesity, reduces insulin
resistance and inflammation, improves
immune system function and reduces cer-
tain hormones, all of which play a role in
cancer development.
The best news is us Sun City dwellers
have everything we need to get active and
stay active. The Fitness Centers in Sun
City offer a wide variety of fitness activi-
ties and instructors ready and willing to
support our goal of keeping healthy. The
beautiful paths throughout the neighbor-
hoods are always available for walking
and the community gardens offer plenty
of opportunities to do physical work. But,
no matter what you do, remember—be
active and stay active.
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