Exercise is one of the most important actions you can take to help guard against many types of cancer. It has been known for many years that there is a relationship between physical activity and various cancers, such as cancers of the breast and colon. Eating a healthy diet, keeping a healthy weight and being physically active, can help reduce the risk of some cancers and other conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes. We will focus on exercise and breast cancer in this article.
Exercise and breast cancer
There is now convincing evidence, from research, showing that engaging in physical activity can lower the risk of developing breast cancer. It can also reduce the risk of recurrences in individuals who have been treated for breast cancer. The amount of risk reduction varies in many studies, but it is significant.
Although a lifetime of regular, vigorous activity is thought to be of greatest benefit, women who increase their physical activity after menopause may also experience a reduced risk compared with inactive women.
In individuals with breast cancer, exercise has been shown to ease treatment side effects and boost your mood/energy as well as many other benefits. Improving balance and flexibility, as well as improving heart and bone health, occur with regular exercise.
How does regular physical activity affect cancer?
Researchers have proposed several biological mechanisms to explain the relationship between regular exercise, or physical activity, and breast cancer development. Physical activity may prevent tumour development by lowering hormone levels, particularly in premenopausal women; lowering levels of insulin and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I); improving the immune response; and assisting with weight maintenance to avoid a high body mass and excess body fat are thought to be important.
Types of exercise
If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer or have received treatment, you should talk to your doctor prior to starting any exercise regime. All three types of exercise are important and you need all, namely — aerobic, strength/resistance, and flexibility. To prevent breast cancer, all types of exercise have proven beneficial, but it is important to stick to your exercise regime and remember that any amount and type of exercise is better than a sedentary lifestyle. Become active today!
How much exercise do you need
Most experts in this field suggest that you should receive 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise five times a week which is about half an hour of brisk walking five times a week. If you do more vigourous exercise the time might be reduced. It is best for you to choose the type of exercise you enjoy doing as this will help you to continue doing it over several years. Besides walking, there are several different activities that you can do such as, bicycling, swimming, dancing and gardening.
Conclusion
Having regular medical checkups, and doing appropriate screening tests are all important in breast cancer prevention, but preventing breast cancer through exercise is one of the best ways a person can decrease the risk of getting breast cancer.
Ask Your Doctor is a health education column and is not a substitute for medical advice from your physician. The reader should consult his or her physician for specific information concerning specific medical conditions. While all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that all information presented is accurate, as research and development in the medical field are ongoing, it is possible that new findings may supersede some data presented.
Dr Brett Hodge MB BS DGO MRCOG, is an Obstetrician/Gynaecologist and Family Doctor who has over thirty-two years in clinical practice. Dr Hodge has a medical practice in The Johnson Building in The Valley (Tel: 264 4975828).
