Guide to Cancer

Breast Cancer

Regular physical activity has been proven to reduce the chances or having breast cancer. Until now however, there have been neither knowledge or even study on how it can affect the survival rates of those women already diagnosed as having breast cancer.

The American Medical Association's Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published statistics in May 2005 which were simply astounding. It showed a 50% decrease in the death rate of women in stages 1-3 in breast cancer.

The comparison was between women who exercised to the equivalent of walking at 2-2.9 mph for app 4 hours a week had half of the death rate of those who exercised to the equivalent of walking for under an hour a week. Overall, the study showed that while it reduced the risk of death post-diagnosis, there was no evidence of any other benefit from increased exercise.

Walking is not an activity which requires a huge investment of time and money. You need a pair of walking shoes and you're good to go. It's also good for reducing stress and is less likely to cause injury than any other exercise. In fact,it helps in prevention.

You could also make it a social activity should you choose to, by someone in the same position as you, a friend, or even the family pet. You could increase the motivation factor (as walking can be boring and a drag on a cold winter's day) by listening to music on the way.

When you're starting out, you'll not want to push yourself. As with any physical activity, it's wise to check with your physician before you start. If you're fitness level is low, you can start with a very short walk and gradually increase. You're likely to be impressed with yourself after a few weeks how far you've progressed. Not only take short walks when starting out, but also walk at an easy pace. IF you burn yourself out, you may not even make five minutes.

Be gentle with the first five minutes and stop at that mark to stretch the bones. In fact, it's a good idea to do that also at the start and end to warm up and cool down respectively.

In many ways, walking is the best exercise you can do. There are many necessary activities which induce stress and a change of pace can often be a welcome break and settle the mind as well as the body. You may find numerous, beautiful places you never even knew existed, which will not only make the activity a more pleasant one to experience but could even encourage you to see it as a hobby rather than a necessary activity.

So yes, it can be fun as well as being rewarding to your body. Health wise, not only does it help to increase the death rate among breast cancer sufferers but also helps to improve all around health, can help with bone strength, weight control, circulation, muscle toning and your heart and lungs.