Put the Remote Down and Get Moving!

That all-day-Saturday sleep fest you love? It may soon be cut short to make room for a bit of exercise. But before the cries of, “That’s not fair!” begin, keep in mind that exercise could reduce your risk of cancer and help you live healthier later in life.

This new study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, showed that exercising even at a young age— starting as young as age 12—can help protect girls from breast cancer when they are adults. Doctors say what’s new is the findings that physical activity at a young age is particularly important for thwarting potential problems later in life.

Researchers followed almost 65,000 nurses ages 24 to 42 who had enrolled in a major health study. Within six years of signing up for the trial, those who were physically active as teens and young adults were 23% less likely to develop premenopausal breast cancer than women who grew up sedentary.

Doctors say they don't expect people to commit to hours of exercise each day to get in shape. For the study, the women at lowest risk said they engaged in 3 hours and 15 minutes of running or other vigorous activity per week. Looking for a less demanding approach? Researchers suggest, for the less athletically-inclined, 13 hours a week of walking.

Don’t stress if you preferred MTV as opposed to a jog when you were a teen, or if you're a guy! Regular exercise has been shown to improve health and reduce the risk of cancer in both sexes no matter what age you start.

So get up, get moving and drag your kids out of bed. It's for their own good! [MSNBC]