Health
Exercise for Breast Health
ThirdAge Staff
There are many reasons why exercise should be a daily activity for ThirdAge women: greater tone, flexibility and bone strength, among others.
Exercise has also been found to help reduce incidence of breast tumors in women, as well as slow down estrogen production, which may help protect against breast cancer. Women who gain weight throughout adulthood and whose fat is mainly distributed in the abdomen are at greater risk for breast cancer than those who maintain a healthy weight.
"Exercising moderately three days a week for 30 to 40 minutes a day has been found to cause a reduction of over 35 percent of breast and pelvic tumors," reports Nile Albright, M.D., director of the Advanced Medical Research Foundation in Boston.
But how hard does a woman have to work out to potentially offset breast cancer risk? What constitutes moderate exercise?
"As long as your pulse rate rises above 100," says Albright, "you're going to get protective benefits from exercise."
If it's impossible to schedule a 30-minute workout, you can instead exercise in shorter sessions throughout the day, advises Albright. Just exercise for 10 minutes at a time and keep your pulse rate above 100. Fast walking, jogging, swimming, tennis, bicycling and hiking are good choices for women looking to reap the protective benefits of exercise.
"You can make exercise more interesting by doing cross training or doing different workouts throughout the week," said Albright. "It's easier to stay motivated when you're doing different workouts."
Wherever you live or work, says Albright, use the environment to your exercise advantage. For example, "If you live or work in a high-rise building," he suggests, "change into some supportive athletic shoes and climb the stairs during lunch hour or after work."
If your apartment is small or if you travel often for business, work out with exercise videos. When the weather gets cold, shovel snow for your workout instead of hiring a neighborhood kid to do the job. Join a pool or gym if you prefer to exercise in warm indoor environments.
"Exercise may help offset inherited risk factors for breast cancer," said Albright. Women 40 and over should also be advised that "the greatest benefit from exercise occurs from age 45 on. It appears that it gives more of a boost to an immune system that may not be as strong as it was in its 20s," Albright said.
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