Staying Healthy Doesn’t Have to Break the Bank
Staying Healthy Doesn’t Have to Break the Bank 08/20/2014 / PATRICIO R AYCINENA MD Tough economic times are causing many people to tighten the belt on personal finances. But trimming fat from the budget, such as cancelling gym memberships, doesn’t have to lead to an expanding waistline. Experts at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute offer the following free and low-cost strategies to help maintain good health as well as possibly reduce various cancer risks. Get walking Staying fit and healthy can be as simple as lacing up a pair of sneakers and going for a walk. Moderate to intensive aerobic exercise, according to studies, also can reduce the risk of recurrence of several cancers, including colon and breast. “You don’t have to be a marathon runner, but the more you exercise, typically the greater the beneficial effect,” says Jeffrey Meyerhardt, MD, MPH, a Dana-Farber gastrointestinal cancer specialist. A study by Meyerhardt found that colon cancer survivors who...