How exercise turns on good genes

Hi. I'm Dr. Wright. Did you know that the benefits of exercise

kick in within a few minutes of your first steps? Exercise can actually turn on specific genes to benefit your health.

Here are some of the gene-flipping benefits of exercise. Exercise revs up more than 100 genes against cancer.

For instance, three hours of activity a week boosts 109 cancer-protecting genes

and squelching 75 cancer-promoting genes in guys with low-grade prostate cancer.

Exercise activates the genes that boost levels of a hormone called irisin. This stuff turns bumpy, bulgy, white fat

into brown fat, which is easier to use and helps protect against diabetes and obesity. Physical activity turns on genes that

help heart muscle cells divide, which keeps your heart working better and protects against heart failure.

A regular exercise routine turns off genes that encourage extra fat to move into your liver.

It also turns on genes that produce proteins that tell this fat invader to leave. That's big news, because today, one in three adults

has a fatty liver. A fatty liver increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and liver damage.