The recently released results of a Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center study show that vigorous exercise appears to dramatically decrease breast cancer risks in African-American women. According to Vanessa Sheppard, lead researcher for the study, “just two hours or more per week of vigorous activity can make a difference in one’s risk of developing breast cancer.”
Aerobic exercise is exactly the type of vigorous exercise the study refers to. Women included in the study that performed vigorous exercise for two hours or more during the past year were determined to have a 64-percent decreased risk for developing breast cancer than women who did not exercise. Even moderate exercise like walking was shown to decrease breast cancer risk by 17-percent.
Lombardi study conclusions support past cancer research
The Lombardi study focused specifically on the benefits of regular vigorous exercise for breast cancer risk reduction in African-American women because African-American women suffer from higher breast cancer mortality rates than Caucasian women. However, since 2001 the American Cancer Society has recommended regular exercise as the cornerstone of cancer prevention for everyone. In January 2001, a chairperson for the organization’s recommendations advisory panel said, “We now believe that physical activity is a primary component of preventing cancer.”
Cancer prevention just another healthful benefit of aerobic exercise program
If the reduced cancer risk benefits aren’t enough to motivate you to start and maintain a regular aerobic exercise program, consider a few of the other known health benefits, identified by the American Heart Association. Participating in a regular aerobic exercise program can;
- lower blood pressure
- reduce the risk of diabetes
- help reduce fat and sustain a healthy weight
- reduce triglyceride levels reducing the risk of coronary disease
- increase HDL (good cholesterol) levels
- build healthy bones, muscles and joints
- reduce feelings of depression and anxiety and improve mood
Interested in reading more about aerobic exercise? Getting an instant email notification of new articles when they become available is as easy as clicking on the “subscribe” button at the top of the page.
Comments