Walk
Down Your Risk
Be Pro-Active
Want
to do something to reduce your breast cancer risk?
Dr.
Esther M. John suggests taking a walk.
As
part of the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program,
she focuses on moderate physical activity.
Moderate
activity can really reduce breast cancer risk if started early in
life and continued on a regular basis.
- Taking
a long, brisk walk three times a week can reduce a young woman's
risk of developing breast cancer by 33%.
- After
memopause the benefits are not as great, but the risk of breast
cancer can still be reduced by 26%.
Start
Early And Keep It Up
Dr. John stresses that it is a lifetime of physical activity that
creates the reduction in risk.
The
results were based on surveys that asked about traditional exercise
activity like biking, running, walking and weight lifting. The questions
also covered less recognized forms of exercise such as housework
and yard work.
Looking
at lifetime patterns, the survey asked women historical questions
such as if they had walked to school as teens.
The
researchers made efforts to include every form of exercise. Jobs
were rated for exercise content and other activities like bike riding
for pleasure or to run errands were included.
The
results showed:
- The
most active premenopausal women had a 26% lower risk of breast
cancer compared with the least active group.
- Postmenopausal
women in the most active group 19% compared to the least active
women.
- Moderately
active premenopausal women cut their breast cancer risk by 33%.
- Postmenopausal
women in the moderately
active group lowered their risk by 26% in compared with the least
active women.
Women
in the most active group were 47% less likely to develop
premenopausal breast cancer and 31% less likely to develop breast
cancer
after menopause than women who reported less physical activity.
SOURCE:
Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program
also see -> Watch
Your Weight for Breast Health
Diet
& Breast Cancer : The Prevention Connection
Elsewhere
on the Web:
Exercise
Can Improve Breast Cancer Survival
Exercise
Can Lower Breast Cancer Risk
Running
From Breast Cancer
