Ladies, when you make an effort to come into to Healthy Fit for Women, whether it’s to run, Spin, or take a Pilates class, you’re making your health a priority AND reducing your risk for breast cancer.

A new study published CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, found that women can reduce their breast cancer risk by exercising and maintaining their weight.

To see if there were any links between recreational physical activity and the risks of developing breast cancer, researchers from the University of North Carolina spoke with 1,504 women with breast cancer (233 noninvasive and 1,271 invasive) and 1,555 women without breast cancer, all of whom were 20 to 98 years old.

They found:

• Women who exercised either during their reproductive or postmenopausal years had a reduced risk of developing breast cancer.
• Women who exercised 10 to 19 hours per week experienced the greatest benefit with an approximate 30% reduced risk.
• Risk reductions were observed at all levels of intensity.

Plus…

• Active women who gained a significant amount of weight – particularly after menopause had an increased risk of developing breast cancer, which means that gaining weight could INCREASE your risks.

Related Healthy Fit Blog posts:

• Exercise May Help You Conquer New Skills
• Exercise May Help with Depression
• Cancers Linked to Obesity on the Rise