Women are increasingly concerned about breast cancer, and with good reason. It is one of the top health issues facing us today. The causes for breast cancer are complex, and many are out of our control.

However, there are some risk factors we can actually do something about, and October—National Breast Cancer Awareness Month—is the perfect time to make some healthy changes to help protect yourself.

You often see a great emphasis on early detection for breast cancer, but let's take a minute to look at breast cancer prevention, which is really the ultimate "cure."

There is one thing you can do right now to reduce your risk of breast cancer—along with most other life-threatening diseases—that is easy, inexpensive, and will offer numerous health benefits across the board: exercise.

A sedentary lifestyle is a risk factor for numerous forms of cancer, and breast cancer is no exception. Conversely, physically active people have been shown to have a reduced rate of all-cancer mortality.

There are fewer incidents of colon, breast and other cancers in active people as compared with their more sedentary peers.

Considerable research supports this concept, such as a study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute 1 , which showed that women who exercised four hours a week regularly reduced their risk of breast cancer by up to 60%.

Many additional studies confirm the role of physical activity in breast cancer risk reduction. 2, 3.

In his book The Breast Cancer Prevention Program 4 , Samuel Epstein, M.D. explains that exercise helps to minimize breast cancer risk by:

• Promoting both late menarche and early menopause

• Decreasing total body estrogen

• Encouraging lower calorie intake and more efficient metabolism

• Minimizing body fat and obesity

• Lessening the need for HRT for many women

Dr. Epstein points to research that shows how vigorously active women tend to have healthier diets—typically lower in beef and dairy products than their sedentary peers.

This report he cites from the British Journal of Cancer 5 noted that young women athletes tended to consume less fat and calories, indicating their active lifestyle tended to promote a healthy diet. Dr. Epstein explains that diets low in saturated fat are associated with lower body levels of estrogen, which may minimize breast cancer risk.

The good news is that reducing your odds of developing breast cancer—as well as diabetes, heartdisease and other serious health problems—does not require drastic lifestyle changes.

All it takes is 20 minutes per day, 3 times per week to begin to decrease your risk of disease and increase your overall health and wellness. The more time you spend being physically active, the greater the health benefits.

Just remember, you can start with small steps, you just need to start moving. And what better time than National Breast Cancer Awareness Month to begin taking steps for a cancer-free future.

References:

1 Bernstein, L., et al., "Physical exercise and reduced risk of breast cancer in young women," Journal of the National Cancer Institute 86 (1994):1403-08.

2 Freidenrich, C.M., et al., "Physical activity and risk of breast cancer," European Journal of Cancer Prevention 4 (1995):145-51.

3 Albanes, D. et al., "Physical activity and risk of cancer in the HANES I population," American Journal of Public Health, 79 (1989): 744-50.

4 Epstein, Samuel S. (1997). The Breast Cancer Prevention Program, 235 Macmillan, New York, New York.

5 Frisch, R.E., et al., "Lower prevalence of breast cancer and cancers of the reproductive system among former college athletes compared with non-athletes," British Journal of Cancer, 52 (1985):885-91.