Fight Breast Cancer Risk: Exercise Early in Life

Posted May 16, 2008 at 12:30 PM by Kathleen Blanchard

Section: Her Fitness, Her Health, Her Motivation, Her Nutrition, Her News

We have even more good news about the value of exercise. According to a study published online May 13 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, pre-menopausal women can protect themselves from breast cancer through regular exercise. The highest protection was seen between ages 12 and 22 years, the next strongest between ages 23 and 34.

This is the first study that clearly shows the value of exercise during adolescence and young adulthood for breast cancer prevention. Lead investigator Graham Colditz, MD, DrPH, from the Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, in St. Louis, Missouri says, “This is just 1 more reason to encourage young women to exercise regularly.”

Dr. Colditz and colleagues studied data from 64,777 women who were pre-menopausal, and enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study II. The women submitted the results of detailed questionnaires regarding leisure and work activities. They were followed for six years. 550 women developed breast cancer. They found that the most important association with breast cancer was the total amount of activity. A 23% reduction in the risk for premenopausal breast cancer was found in the women who reported exercise equivalent to running 3 1/4 hours or walking 13 hours a week. It didn’t matter what the activity was. According to Dr. Colditz, “You don’t have to be a marathon runner to get the risk-reducing effects of exercise.” Walking, moderate intensity and strenuous exercise produced the same results.

The researchers don’t know the exact reasons for the boost in protection from breast cancer, but they feel that the study supports the value of regular exercise among women of all ages. Dr. Colditz and colleagues point out that “Physical activity is one of the very few risk factors for breast cancer that can be modified,” and the finding that exercise appears to protect against breast cancer has public health implications. This is not the first review showing that women can protect themselves from breast cancer with regular exercise.

The take-home message is that women need to set aside leisure time for regular exercise. Many of us are active at work as well as around the house, but all of the evidence points to recreational activity as the best form of exercise for breast cancer protection.Start early and make regular exercise a lifetime goal.