Exercise
Exercise has been shown to cut down the risk of developing breast cancer.
- In women without a history of breast cancer, engaging in more than seven hours per week of moderate-to-vigorous exercise reduces the risk of developing breast cancer by 16%.
- Another study showed that black or white women who have annual lifetime physical activity exceeding the median activity level have 20% lower risk of breast cancer compared to inactive women.
Vigorous exercise has been shown to cut down the risk of breast cancer relapse:
- A study also showed women who engaged in 9 or more metabolic equipment (MET) hours per week (equivalent to brisk walking for one hour, 5 days a week) had an unadjusted absolute mortality risk reduction of 6% at 10 years compared to women who engaged in less than 3 MET hours per week (equivalent to walking at an average pace for one hour).
- Even moderate physical activity of doing housework can reduce breast cancer risk. A study in UK involving 200,000 women showed that housework cut breast cancer risk by 30% among the pre-menopausal women and 20% among the post-menopausal women. These women performed an average housework of 16 to 27 hours per week doing cooking, cleaning and washing.
There is also evidence that exercise reduces risk of colon cancer relapse.
Exercise helps maintain ideal body weight and prevents obesity as well as improving endurance and cardiovascular fitness.
Resistance/ aerobic exercise and quality of life:
- A study in 2007 by Canadian investigators explored the effects of exercise on quality of life, physical fitness and body composition in women receiving chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer showed that, resistance exercise was better than usual care for improving muscle strength, lean body mass and self-esteem.
- Aerobic exercise was better than usual care for improving aerobic fitness, self-esteem and body fat percentage.
- Exercise did not cause lymphedema or other adverse side effects.
Yoga:
- Another study compared various quality of life measures between 84 women with early-stage breast cancer who took a weekly yoga class for 12 weeks and 44 women who did not take yoga.
- The study fund that those who did not take yoga reported a drop in social well-being scores (a measure of perceived support from and closeness with others) compared with those who took yoga.
- The study further found that among women not undergoing chemotherapy, those taking yoga reported improved overall quality of life as well as better emotional well-being and mood compared with those not taking yoga, who experienced declines in quality of life, mood, and social and spiritual well-being.
Exercise 30 minutes a day
A recent study also showed that breast cancer survivors who maintained exercise 30 minutes a day had lower rate of depression (published in JCO).
