Avoid Breast Cancer? Walk
They've told us to cut out red meat and keep slim, to go for mammograms yearly and avoid soy and other phyto-estrogens.
But a new study has now found that breast cancer survivors -- and all women -- may just have to walk to possibly avoid risk of the disease or a recurrence.
According to abcnews.com, "walking for an hour a day could cut your risk by 14 percent."
The study followed more than 70,000 postmenopausal women, 4,760 of whom developed breast cancer. But the most active women had a 25% lower risk of cancer compared to the least active women. But walking for even one hour a day had a protective effect, abcnews.com reports.
The study did not touch on women who are pre- or peri-menopausal who develop breast cancer, as I did, but it stands to reason the effect would be the same.
"Given that breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women, and that walking is a common activity among postmenopausal women, the finding of a possible lower risk with an average one or more hours per day of walking is of considerable public health interest," the study authors wrote.
Now there are, of course, many factors that go into whether a woman gets breast cancer, including genetics (though that includes only about 10% of women), environmental factors, and even possibly fertility drugs, as doctors are now finding (although women who take them and don't get pregnant by 50 have a slightly lower risk of the disease, according to the Susan G. Komen Foundation).
Obviously, the better care we take of ourselves, the better off we will be. Nothing's a guarantee. It may not prevnt you from getting cancer, but eating well, exercising daily and getting your sleep can't hurt.
But a new study has now found that breast cancer survivors -- and all women -- may just have to walk to possibly avoid risk of the disease or a recurrence.
According to abcnews.com, "walking for an hour a day could cut your risk by 14 percent."
The study followed more than 70,000 postmenopausal women, 4,760 of whom developed breast cancer. But the most active women had a 25% lower risk of cancer compared to the least active women. But walking for even one hour a day had a protective effect, abcnews.com reports.
The study did not touch on women who are pre- or peri-menopausal who develop breast cancer, as I did, but it stands to reason the effect would be the same.
"Given that breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women, and that walking is a common activity among postmenopausal women, the finding of a possible lower risk with an average one or more hours per day of walking is of considerable public health interest," the study authors wrote.
Now there are, of course, many factors that go into whether a woman gets breast cancer, including genetics (though that includes only about 10% of women), environmental factors, and even possibly fertility drugs, as doctors are now finding (although women who take them and don't get pregnant by 50 have a slightly lower risk of the disease, according to the Susan G. Komen Foundation).
Obviously, the better care we take of ourselves, the better off we will be. Nothing's a guarantee. It may not prevnt you from getting cancer, but eating well, exercising daily and getting your sleep can't hurt.
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