Regular Workouts Help Cut Breast Cancer Risk in Post-Menopausal Women: Study

Hitting the gym regularly after menopause reduces  risk of developing breast cancer, advises study.

Exercise and physical activity help prevent an array of diseases, physiological and cognitive disorders that manifest during old age. Recent research suggests post-menopausal women should engage in frequent workouts and exercise sessions for at least four years after entering menopause.

French experts found doing even simple tasks such as playing, running, brisk walking and gardening reduces breast cancer risk by 10 percent.

The study involved over 60,000 participants from the French cancer study who were followed for eight years. At the end of the trial almost 2,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer. It was observed women who exercised for at least four hours in a week had least probability of developing the deadly disease.

In addition, subjects who exercised for almost a decade earlier and stopped working out eventually also saw no reduction in risk of getting breast cancer.

"Being physically active doesn't need to be running or going to the gym - it can be anything that raises your pulse. Breast cancer is most common in post-menopausal women so it is great to see evidence like this which supports the message that physical activity in this age group is beneficial," said Sally Greenbrook of Breakthrough Breast Cancer, reports the Belfast Telegraph.

Past reviews on 37 published data suggest women who exercised for 26 years continuously had 12 percent decline in likelihood of breast cancer in later years. These findings highlight the importance of regular physical activity in averting risk of various health disorders. The authors urge women not to discontinue daily workouts and fitness regime as it makes the body more vulnerable to ailments and serious illnesses.

"We found that recreational physical activity, even of modest intensity, seemed to have a rapid impact on breast cancer risk," said Agnes Fournier, study author and researcher at the Institut Gustave Roussy in Villejuif, France, reports the Belfast Telegraph.

More information is available online in the journal of American Association for Cancer Research.