October is breast cancer awareness month. To help raise awareness and promote prevention, we are going to be highlighting things you can do to help reduce the risk of breast cancer and bring more balance to your life.
Day One: Physical Activity
A recent review article published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health brought more light to how physical activity may help reduce breast cancer in post menopausal women. The review showed a significant reduction in breast cancer incidence in post-menopausal women who participated in regular physical activity. This may be due to a reduction in total body fat. Adipose tissue (fat cells) in post menopausal women can be one of the main source of estrogen. Reducing excess body fat has the potential to reduce estrogen levels in post menopausal women and there by reduce the overall risk of breast cancer.
Adding 30 minutes of exercise per day has the potential to reduce breast cancer risk by 20% (1)
What are your current physical activity goals?
How to get Started
- Start with a moderate increase in activity.
- Talk with your doctor to set up a plan.
- Walking and swimming are two low impact activities that are a great way to get started.
- Do something you enjoy, such as, dancing, yoga, biking, gardening or mountain climbing.
- Bring a friend to hold you accountable
- Five mins here and there counts, so do what you can.
We’d love to hear your exercise success strategies. Post them in the comments or on our Facebook page to join the conversation!
1. Colditz, G. A. and Bohlke, K. (2014), Priorities for the primary prevention of breast cancer. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 64: 186–194. doi: 10.3322/caac.21225
