Benefits of Exercise for Women
The health benefits for exercise and physical activity are well documented and the physicians at Comprehensive Cancer Centers encourage everyone to be physically active. Additional studies and data suggest that for breast cancer, increased physical activity may lower risks of breast cancer.
A study conducted in France discovered that postmenopausal women, who exercised regularly in the last four years, had a lower risk of breast cancer than postmenopausal women who exercised less during the four years. The researchers found that postmenopausal women who had exercised regularly between five and nine years earlier, but were less active in the past four years, didn’t have a lower risk of breast cancer.
Does Everyone Benefit?
Generally speaking, women who exercise can expect a lowered risk of developing breast cancer. It turns out, though, that women in the study who were overweight or obese benefited less. As a whole, this group of women included in the study still decreased their risk by around 10 percent.
How exercising lowers breast cancer risk is not fully understood. It’s thought that physical activity regulates hormones including estrogen and insulin, which can fuel breast cancer growth. Regular exercise also helps women stay at a healthy weight, which also helps regulate hormones and helps keep the immune system healthier.
Additionally, men can benefit from strength training. Studies show that exercising regularly reduces anxiety, depression, nausea, and fatigue, while increasing self-esteem, mood and quality of life. These benefits can be achieved through moderate exercise and strength training is the best way to start. To learn more, read this blog on Cancer-Fighting Exercises.
How Much Exercise Do You Need?
While the right amount of exercise depends upon each individual and their health, and should be determined by working with your primary care physician, the general recommended amount of physical activity per week is 150 minutes. Activities can include more active options, such as swimming, cycling or playing sports, but there are great benefits to many everyday activities like brisk walking or taking the stairs, rather than an elevator.
The following are additional activities are also great ways to be active, just with daily living:
- Gardening
- Vacuuming
- Washing a car
- Parking farther away to walk more
- Taking the stairs
Is it Too Late to Start Exercising Now?
It’s never too late to start exercising if you lead a sedentary lifestyle. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, it is recommended that adults engage in at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or a combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity, every week.
So, if you haven’t already started getting more active, meet with your physician to set up a plan to get started.
Comprehensive Cancer Centers Can Help
Physicians at Comprehensive Cancer Centers provide a variety of treatment options for breast cancer including: chemotherapy, radiation therapy and clinical research for the treatment of cancer. For a complete list of clinical research studies currently being conducted at Comprehensive, please click here. To schedule an appointment with the team at Comprehensive, please call 702-952-3350.
The content is this post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
