Men, ages 40 and older, who are consciously fit appear to have a lesser risk of having lung and colorectal cancer in the future according to a study published in the University of Vermont.

Fitness was only associated with heart disease which affects many people all around the world. According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading global disease which accounts for 17.3 million deaths. Maintaining physical activities is highly advised for prevention of heart attacks and other related illnesses.

But Dr. Susan G. Lakoski, author of the current research linking cancer and exercise, said in an email to Reuters that small improvements in fitness made a significance in reducing the risk of dying from cancer and cardiovascular disease by 10 and 20 percent respectively.

Dr. Lakoski set her research studying 13,949 men who took an initial physical examination and a treadmill test for cardiovascular performance. Her team then monitored the physical activities of these men between 1971 and 2009.

Once the men were eligible for Medicare at the age of 65 between 1991 and 2009, Lakoski and her team assessed existence of three prevailing cancers among men in their old age: lung, prostate, and colorectal cancer. In that span of time, they have seen 1,310 diagnosed with prostate cancer, 200 with lung cancer and, 181 with colorectal cancer.

The study then has seen the link of middle age men with an exercise regimen from moderate to rigorous activities had 55% lower risk of having lung cancer and 44% for having colorectal cancer. No significance was seen between prostate and exercise during the study.

The study then predicts cancer incidence among men. However, "future studies are required to determine the absolute level of CRF necessary to prevent site-specific cancer as well as evaluating the long-term effect of cancer diagnosis and mortality in women," according to Lakoski's conclusion published in JAMA Oncology.