Maintaining a healthy weight and exercising may reduce your risk of breast cancer.
Maintain a healthy weight
- Gaining weight after menopause increases the risk of breast cancer.
- Weight gain of 20 pounds or more after the age of 18 may increase your risk of breast cancer.
- If you have gained weight, losing weight may lower your risk of breast cancer.
- Keeping a healthy attitude can help curb emotional eating. Do things that make you happy and that bring balance to your life. Pay attention to yourself and your needs. Go to the library and pick out a book; take a walk in the park; have coffee with a friend. Being in touch with your ‘spiritual self’ through meditation or prayer may help you gain inner peace.
Add exercise to your routine
Physical activity involves the energy that you release from your body. It not only burns energy (calories), but may also help lower the risk of breast cancer. This is because exercise lowers estrogen levels, fights obesity, lowers insulin levels and boosts the function of immune system cells that attacks tumors. Here is all it takes to get started:
- If you have been inactive for a long time, are overweight, have a high risk of heart disease or some other chronic health problem, see your doctor before starting an exercise program.
- Include physical activity into your daily routine. All you need is moderate (where you break a sweat) activity – like brisk walking for 30 minutes a day.
- Do whatever physical activity you enjoy most and gets you moving.
- After exercising, think about how good you feel about your body and yourself. Use that feeling to motivate you the next time.
If you are already physically active, keep up the good work!
Courtesy of Susan G. Komen for the Cure www.komen.org
