Lowering Your Risk For Breast Cancer

(CARLSBAD, CA) - Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to your health. That’s why knowing your personal risk factors for diseases such as breast cancer is so valuable. When breast cancer is caught in its early stages, an amazing 97 percent of women survive.

Most women are familiar with the list of risk factors, but knowing the science behind each may provide compelling motivation to make lifestyle changes.

— Women who are overweight produce extra estrogen, and high levels of hormones are linked to cancer cell growth. A review of data from a study of Long Island women ages 20 to 98, about half of whom had been diagnosed with breast cancer, revealed that women who gained a significant amount of weight after the age of 20 were more likely to develop breast cancer than women whose weight remained fairly stable. Those who gained more than 33 pounds throughout adulthood had a 60 percent greater risk than their peers who remained within six or seven pounds of their weight at age 20. The greatest risk seemed to come from weight gain after age 50. Compared with women whose weight was stable at this time, those who put on 25 pounds or more were 62 percent more likely to develop breast cancer.

— Women who smoke have an increased risk of breast cancer, according to a survey of 116, 544 retired female teachers in California. The women, about half of whom were pre-menopausal, were asked about their smoking history and then followed up on five years later to see who developed invasive breast cancer. Women who were still smoking when first surveyed were 32 percent more likely to develop breast cancer than women who had never smoked. However, former smokers did not have significantly higher breast cancer risk than women who had never smoked. Not surprisingly, the risk of breast cancer rose significantly with the number of years and the number of cigarettes women had smoked.

— Women who eat a low-fat diet may reduce their risk of breast cancer and breast cancer recurrence. Observations of breast cancer rates in countries where women consume a low-fat diet have some researchers theorizing a link between diet and cancer. While studies have indicated a connection between low-fat diets and reduced cancer risk, the findings may be influenced by the participants’ overall health habits, which may also include regular exercise, not smoking and a lower consumption of alcohol. Still, with what we know about the health benefits of eating lots of fruits and vegetables, lean meats and low-fat dairy products, it makes sense to cut fat from your diet.

— Women who exercise are less likely to develop breast cancer. Physical activity, even when begun later in life, reduces overall breast cancer risk by 20 percent, according to a study led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. In addition, walking just one or more hours per week may improve survival in women who have breast cancer, according to a study of more than 2,900 women in the Harvard Medical School Nurses’ Health Study. Regular exercise helps women to maintain a healthy weight, which keeps estrogen levels in check. While the reasons for the increase in survival with exercise remain unclear, doctors hypothesize that lower levels of growth-stimulating ovarian hormones, such as estrogen, in the bloodstream may be one reason. Physical activity has already been shown to result in lower levels of circulating ovarian hormones.

Exercise is beneficial in so many ways, Jazzercise founder Judi Sheppard Missett asks why wait a minute longer to start?  Just put on your favorite music and dance around your living room.  Make sure to warm up for 5 to 10 minutes with gentle movements that incorporate all of your major muscle groups, and finish with 5 to 10 minutes of slow cool down movements and stretches.  Even if you can only manage 10 to 15 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise, you will be doing your body a world of good.  You can slowly add a minute at a time until you are able to complete 30 minutes or more.

Try the following side pendulum kick to get started. Stand tall with your knees and toes facing forward.  Step on your right foot, then hop on it as you kick your left leg low to the left side.  Reverse the movement by stepping on your left foot, then hopping on it as you kick your right leg low to the right side.  The movement will have a step-hop-step-hop/one-two-one-two rhythm.  Keep your shoulders relaxed, your abdominal muscles tight, and allow your arms to swing naturally as you kick.  For a lower impact version, eliminate the hop so the movement is step-kick-step-kick.

Jazzercise, created by Judi Sheppard Missett, is the world's leading dance-fitness program with more than 6,800 instructors teaching 30,000 classes weekly in the U.S. and around the globe. Since 1969, millions of people of all ages and fitness levels have reaped the benefits of this comprehensive program, designed to enhance cardiovascular endurance, strength, and flexibility. For more information on Jazzercise go to jazzercise.com or call (800)FIT-IS-IT or (760)476-1750.

Courtesy of Jazzercise, Inc. - jazzercise.com