Exercise

Women can reduce their risk of breast cancer by following an active lifestyle. This is the strong message coming through from a series of recent international studies.

Most of us know we should be doing more and most of us know the great health benefits of exercise. However, with increasing demands on our time it is often easier to conjure up creative excuses (I know because I’m very good at it!) than to splice in an hour of exercise each day. However, physical activity promises to be one modifiable risk factor through which women can reduce their risk of breast cancer, according to a report from Dr Anne McTiernan, MD, PhD, summarising the results of the studies which investigated the association between physical activity and risk of breast cancer.

Of the 14 published cohorts studies, nine showed clear evidence of a reduced risk for breast cancer in women who were classified as having engaged in the highest levels of physical activity. The definition of "most active" varied from study to study, but the reduction in risk ranged from 10% to 70% for the most active women.

"Epidemiologists have identified several risk factors for breast cancer, yet clinical advice to women to change these risk factors has been uncommon. Physical activity promises to be one modifiable risk factor through which women can reduce their risk.

Clinicians can now advise women that reducing risk of breast cancer may be one additional reason to adopt an active lifestyle," Dr McTiernan reported.

"There are still questions about the type and amount of exercise needed, the ages at which exercise should be done, and the interactions with other risk factors such as reproductive and menstrual history, diet, body mass, alcohol intake, genetics and hormone therapy. Finding answers to these questions will require a research agenda focused on the biology of exercise and breast cancer."

Dr McTiernan reported that 22 case-control studies have also been published (conducted in countries as diverse as United States, Finland, China, Serbia, Japan and Italy) on the association between physical activity and the risk of breast cancer.

Of these 22 studies, 17 found evidence of a reduced risk for breast cancer in women who were the most active compared with sedentary women.

She said it was not clear at what age physical activity should be done to reduce risk, but increased physical activity presents a powerful individual and public health measure to reduce risk for breast cancer and other diseases. Dr McTiernan wrote that the prevalence of a sedentary lifestyle in the United States is high and probably never been higher and that the cancer risk attributable to a sedentary lifestyle could be correspondingly large. Statistics also show Kiwis up as a race of couch potatoes and the same principle probably applies to our high incidence of breast cancer.

"Physical activity can be done by most persons, is self-motivated and self-directed, and can be accomplished with little or no expenditure on equipment," the American specialist wrote. She advised doctors to recommend increased physical activity as a measure to reduce risk and outlined the following recommendations:

• Emphasis on life-long physical activity
• Attention to nutrition and diet to achieve energy balance
• Promotion of aerobic activities, preferably 45-60 minutes on 4-5 days per week
• Seek advice on injury prevention and information on health risks associated with overtraining.

Rebounding for Health

Would you like to exercise more but find it hard to get started and even harder to carry on? (Join the club!) Consider rebounding if you like to have all the equipment at home and think you can persevere with it long enough to make the initial outlay worthwhile. Or use the rebounder your gym already has. The benefits of rebounding are multiple.

Recommended by holistic healing practitioners and gyms, for starters rebounding can be as gentle or vigorous as you like. There will be some benefit even if you sit to bounce or don’t get your feet off the mat but "walk" or "run" without lifting them. The movement performed in rebounding provides the stimulus for a free-flowing lymph system that drains away potential toxins.

There are many other positive effects of the increased exercise. More oxygen will circulate, muscles including the heart will be toned and strengthened, the glandular system toned up. It is not necessary to exercise vigorously to gain the benefits - just regularly, and it can be an excellent method of reducing stress. No jarring occurs on a properly designed rebounder. And therein lies a catch. The cheap bouncers one sometimes sees on the market will just not do, due to inadequate design and construction. It is important to only use a good quality rebounder to gain the full benefit and avoid jarring and stress on the joints.

Look for a unit constructed with springs held in cleats on the frame , not directly inserted into the frame.

What about lymphoedema, that bugbear that affects so many women after breast cancer treatment? Could rebounding help prevent lymphoedema, or could it increase the risk of it developing?  To be safe, and certainly once lymphoedema has developed, the usual precautions need to be taken - do wear a sleeve while exercising, don’t get overheated and avoid prolonged or vigorous rebounding.

It is not necessary to stress the body at all to gain from this gentle, convenient exercise. Like all new exercise, it pays to start slowly. A few minutes several times daily, leading to 10 minutes three times a day or whatever fits your busy schedule. You may feel "unbalanced" to start with. Just get off and start again. Jumping may lead to urinary "leaking" for some women. Dont forget to do pelvic floor exercises.