03/21/2026
Both exercise and birth control reduce your risk for many diseases. Combining both can have synergetic benefits. There’s never any downside to exercising, but you need to decide if birth control is right for you.
Birth control:
Ovarian Cancer: Risk is reduced by 30-50%. This protection increases with duration of use and persists up to 30 years after stopping.
Endometrial Cancer: Risk is reduced by at least 30-50%.
Colorectal Cancer: Some studies suggest an approximately 18% decreased risk.
Breast Cancer: Studies show a potential small, temporary increase in risk while taking it, but this risk is small and generally diminishes over time after stopping.
www.mdanderson.org
www.mdanderson.org
Preventing Pregnancy: Up to 99% effective at preventing pregnancy when taken consistently.
Menstrual Cycle Management: Regulation of periods, reduced heavy bleeding, and alleviated pain.
Acne Treatment: Improvement of skin conditions.
Condition Management: Treatment for endometriosis and symptoms of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).
Regular exercise significantly reduces the risk of chronic diseases, offering up to a 90% reduced risk for type 2 diabetes and substantial reductions for cardiovascular diseases (19–38%), various cancers (8–33%), and premature death (up to 30%). It also lowers risks for dementia, depression, and infectious diseases.
