Just 10 Minutes of Intense Exercise Can Help Fight Bowel Cancer, Study Says

Workouts don't have to be lengthy to offer significant health benefits. In fact, just 10 minutes of intense exercise may be enough to help fight bowel cancer, according to a recent study published in the International Journal of Cancer. Researchers found that short bursts of hard exercise can trigger rapid changes in the bloodstream, making it harder for bowel cancer cells to grow and easier for them to repair DNA damage.

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the U.S. among both men and women combined, with about 150,000 Americans diagnosed each year, according to Colorectal Cancer Alliance.

The study looked at blood samples from 30 overweight adults taken before and immediately after a max-effort cycling workout, which lasted about 10 to 12 minutes. They then exposed human colon cancer cells to the participants’ blood serum, either from before or after exercise.

Cancer cells treated with post-exercise blood showed less DNA damage and repaired that damage faster than cells exposed to pre-exercise blood. Unrepaired DNA damage is a key driver of cancer growth and progression. Exercise also increased levels of 13 different proteins in the bloodstream. Together, these changes appeared to lead cancer cells to a less aggressive state.

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At the genetic level, cancer cells exposed to post-workout blood switched on genes that help repair DNA and produce energy, while switching off genes linked to tumor growth.

"Even a single workout can make a difference. One bout of exercise, lasting just 10 minutes, sends powerful signals to the body. It's a reminder that every step, every session, counts when it comes to doing your best to protect your health," says Sam Orange, PhD, lead author of the study, per Medical Xpress.

Additionally, the research team wrote that their finding offer a "potential mechanistic explanation for the protective effects of exercise against" bowel cancer.

Most importantly, these benefits came from just one intense workout rather than weeks or months of training. So, never underestimate the power of short workouts because even a quick burner sessions could benefit your health far more than you might think.

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