New Study Finds 1 Promising Way To Keep Colon Cancer From Returning

And it has more health benefits, too.

With colon cancer rates rising throughout the world, particularly in adults under 50, finding a way to lessen the chance of getting the disease — or keeping it from returning after a diagnosis — is at the forefront of many people’s minds.

Now, a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that exercise can help prevent colon cancer from coming back.

Researchers followed 889 people for about eight years. Each of them had Stage 3 or high-risk Stage 2 colon cancer. Participants were 61 years old, on average.

After undergoing chemotherapy for colon cancer, half of the participants were prescribed an exercise regimen with a physical activity consultant for three years. The other half were given a health education booklet with information on exercise and healthy eating, but did not have a consultant to hold them to a workout regimen.

While individuals in the physical activity group could choose from different workouts, most people opted for a 45-minute brisk walk four times a week, study leader Dr. Christopher Booth told NBC News.