Exercise: It protects against breast cancer, and helps you when you have it, too

We all know that exercise is good for us, and a gentle version of it is especially beneficial for anyone with a heart condition.  But now researchers have discovered that it can also help people with cancer.

A research team put a small group of women with early-stage breast cancer through a 12-week exercise programme, which included fast walking.  All the women reported greater mobility in their shoulders, and the quality of their life had improved.  These improvements carried on for six months after completing the exercise programme.

But earlier studies suggest an even more exciting possibility.  In a review of 48 studies, researchers found that postmenopausal women who exercised reduced their risk of breast cancer by 80 per cent, while it had a 20 per cent protective effect among women who had not reached menopause.

(Source:  British Medical Journal, 2007; 334: 484-5; Epidemiology, 2007; 18: 137-157).


E-news broadcast 12 April 2007 No.350 [Subscribe]