Studies Reveal How Much and What Type of Exercise Prevents Cancer

Protect your breasts — get your heart pumping

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33215028/ns/health-cancer/

“A study sponsored by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research found that exercising more, eating healthier and keeping weight in check could prevent as many as 38 percent of breast cancer cases in the United States. But for many women, the big questions are: How much exercise do you need to get and what type offers the best protection against breast cancer? Fortunately, recent research has provided some of those answers, even revealing what age you should ramp up your exercise regimen to maximize the protective benefits. In one recent study from Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, researchers examined cardiovascular fitness in more than 14,000 women with no history of breast cancer. Overall, women who were moderately fit, meaning that they did moderate-intensity exercise like brisk walking 150 minutes per week or vigorous aerobic activity like jogging for 75 minutes each week, had a one-third lower risk of developing breast cancer Perhaps the best news from the latest research is it's never too late to start exercising to lower your risk. That's the message from a study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine's annual meeting in May in which researchers asked more than 4,000 women to recall exercise patterns in four stages of their life: 10 to 15 years old, 15 to 30 years old, 30 to 50 years old, and over 50 years old. Although exercising before the age of 30 didn't alter the odds of developing breast cancer, women 30 years and older who exercised more than 60 minutes a week significantly cut their risk.”