Each year millions of women are diagnosed with an awful disfiguring and sometimes fatal disease called breast cancer. Most women will do just about anything to help with the prevention of this disease. In over 30 recent studies, the effects that exercise can have to reduce the risk is staggering. The studies show that if a woman exercises with moderate to vigorous exercise for 3 or more hours per week, they can reduce their risk of breast cancer by 30 -40%.
The drug tamoxifen has nearly the same effects as exercise does, yet you do not get any of the side effects. The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer has come up with guidelines to help women reduce the risk of breast cancer. The one guideline that stands out is that the recommend moderate to vigorous activity for at least 30 minutes each day. Many scientists believe that hormones have a direct link to developing breast cancer and exercise helps to keep the hormones in balance.
Not only does exercise help prevent breast cancer, but it also helps those who have it. Many patients find that exercise and proper nutrition help on their road to recovery from this devastating disease. The combination gives them more energy to get back into their normal regimen and helps to accelerate the recovery process. Some patients start working out as early as 4 weeks post treatment, however most surgeons recommend waiting 8 to 10 weeks before beginning any exercise. There are numerous studies that show that just walking for 30 minutes per day can have a multitude of benefits on an individual’s recovery. Exercise also increases the survival rate and allows patients to gain control back of their lives. When getting back into the exercise realm it is best to start slowly and a good rule of thumb is to increase the time spent exercising by no more than 10% per week. If you are too aggressive with the exercise protocol you can degrade your immune system and your susceptibility for injury. It is always best to consult your physician prior to starting any exercise protocol. If you are having trouble developing an exercise program to get you back into shape, then you might want to hire a qualified personal trainer, such as those of the Xcellerated Speed Training staff. For more information please contact us at 610 334-4120 or check us out on the web at www.xspeedtraining.com