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Going for a Run Could Undo the Damage You Did at the Pub Last Night

A new study has found that performing 150 minutes of exercise a week reduces the risk of alcohol-related diseases.
Photo via Flickr user Simon Cocks

Remember that time scientists bummed us all out by saying that alcohol causes seven different types of cancer?

Yeah, forget that, because science has now found a way of reversing all the nasty things alcohol does to the human body, and all it takes is a few gym sessions!

Well, kind of.

A study published yesterday in the British Journal of Medicine by researchers from the UK, Canada, Norway, and Australia found that 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week (the amount recommended by British chief medical officers) cut the risk of alcohol-related cancers and other diseases.

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Cheers to that.

READ MORE: Scientists Now Say Alcohol Is a Direct Cause of Seven Forms of Cancer

To come to this conclusion, researchers studied the health records of 36,370 men and women aged 40 and over in the UK using data from six editions of the Health Survey for England and two editions of the Scottish Health Survey over a 12 year period. Both annual surveys chart the changes to health and lifestyle of the British public.

Unsurprisingly—and in agreement with previous research—the study found "a direct association between alcohol consumption and cancer mortality risk from drinking within guidelines." But among those who consumed alcohol as well as meeting exercise guidelines, physical activity "offset some of the cancer and all-cause mortality risk associated with alcohol drinking."

READ MORE: Scientists Have More Bad News for People Who Like Bacon and Alcohol

Don't get too excited, though. A half-hearted jog around the local park probably won't offset those Aperol Spritzes you've been mainlining all summer.

As a spokesperson for alcohol charity, Alcohol Concern, explained to MUNCHIES: "Even though exercise is an important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, the best way to limit the harm to the body is for men and women to drink no more than two to three units a day, while also having alcohol-free days throughout the week."

Hauling your ass to the gym before happy hour might not be a bad idea.