Exercise to Reduce Breast Cancer Risk after 50

Exercise is always a great way to better health and fitness, but it also has surprising benefits on reducing the risk of developing cancer, especially in women who are above 50 years of age.

Even women who do not actively exercise by jogging or going to the gym can benefit by 30 minutes of aerobic activity every day, perhaps during the course of household chores. That is great news for many, considering most women actively engage in household activities. This positive finding was revealed by a recent study on breast cancer. The study included even regular, day to day activities such as walking to the corner grocery store, cycling, gardening etc. in the calculations.

It is no news that regular workouts and a healthy lifestyle have a far reaching positive impact on the mind and the body. The study concludes that even moderate physical activity can be highly beneficial and therefore urges all women to stay physically active especially during the second half of their lives. In addition to reducing the risk of breast cancer, the heart, bones and brains also benefit from regular activity.

Previously, questions such as how much exercise is required for women to significantly reduce the risk of breast cancer, at what age is exercise most helpful and what types of breast cancer. are prevented by exercise etc. were not studied exhaustively. The new research covers all these aspects which were previously left in the dark.

Two groups of women between the ages of 50 to 74 were selected for the study. One group had breast cancer and the other group was free of the disease. Their lifestyle habits, particularly those relating to physical activity from 30 to 49 years of age and 50 to the present, were covered in the study.

The study revealed that the women who involved themselves at least in moderate physical activity had almost one third lower risk of developing breast cancer than those women who led a sedentary lifestyle.

It was also seen that women who exercise after 50, had significantly positive impact on their breast cancer risk. Tumors that form receptors for estrogen and progesterone were the malignancies that seemed to have a lesser risk of developing in physically active women.

Since the finding showed no specific relation between body weight of the physically active women and cancer risk, it was concluded that cancer risk is reduced by the aerobic activity cutting through hormonal mechanisms and not just by reduction in body fat or other physical changes.