Exercise Reduces your Risk

May 24, 2011

Let me start with a few statistics:

• About 1 in 8 women in the U.S. (12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.
• Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among U.S. women. More than 1 in 4 cancers in women (about 28%) are breast cancer.
• About 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. More than 2 million men in the U.S. who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point are still alive today.
• Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind only lung cancer. About 1 man in 36 will die of prostate cancer.
Sounds scary, doesn’t it? Gals, if you think about 8 of your closest friends, statistics are showing that one of them will develop breast cancer at some point in her life. While we can’t always control everything that happens to us, there are things we can do to aid in the prevention of cancer diagnoses and recurrences. Doing regular exercise will cut down on your risk of developing the disease as well as preventing its return, if you are a survivor.

How Much Exercise is Effective?

One hour of walking at a 2 to 3 mph pace lowers your risk a little. Three to five hours weekly of brisk walking gives you the most protection from cancer. You could vary that by switching activities – try jogging, hiking, swimming, cycling, or other activities that get you moving. For the prevention of cancer recurrence, the American Cancer Society recommends that you exercise for 30-40 minutes at least 5 days a week.

Here’s How Exercise Reduces Your Risk

Regular exercise and a diet low in fat and high in fruits and vegetables lowers your levels of certain types of estrogen and testosterone. Although women need estrogen to mature and to create strong bones, overexposure to estrogen can lead to breast cancer. Eighty percent of all breast cancers are fueled by estrogen. Exercise is a natural way to reduce your estrogen levels, as well as reducing other hormones and growth factors that can cause breast cells to turn into cancer. Likewise, because there is a known link between high levels of testosterone and increased risk of prostate cancer, physical activity decreases testosterone and promotes weight loss which decreases prostate cancer risks.

Being Sedentary Increases Your Risk

Physical inactivity may contribute to the rise in several types of cancer – colon, postmenopausal breast cancer, endometrial, kidney and cancer of the esophagus. Women who are overweight produce and store more estrogen in their bodies than women who have a healthy lower BMI. Increased exposure to estrogen and risk of breast cancer are linked, since the estrogen-receptor positive kind is the most common type of breast cancer. Obese women have a greater amount of breast tissue, and it is more difficult to detect breast tumors in obese women. This can lead to detection at a more advanced stage of cancer, when it’s harder to treat.

Other Benefits Of Exercise

Since you are a member of our clubs, I’m sure you know the many benefits exercise has on your health. The same benefits apply to healthy people as to cancer survivors. Let’s review:
Improves: mood, body image (raises self esteem), improves muscle tone, strength and endurance. Exercise protects you by lowering your risk of heart disease and diabetes. It can help you lower your weight, which in turn, reduces risk of breast and prostate cancer due to obesity.

Bottom Line

Whether you are trying to prevent breast cancer or prostate cancer or recover from treatment, exercise extends your survival. Regular exercise and a healthy diet improve your overall health and boast psychological benefits as well. Find an exercise activity or program you can stick with. May I suggest our own Cancer Wellfit program…a 10 week class that meets twice a week and helps to promote strength and endurance of cancer survivors in a non-threatening atmosphere. This class is taught by certified cancer exercise trainers that work with individuals on gaining back the strength they need to live their lives and do the things they need to do on a daily basis.
For more information on our Cancer Wellfit program or if you just have questions on cancer and fitness, feel free to give me a call at 956-8003 ext. 318. Or e-mail me at krich@michiganathleticclub.com