Women over 30 who exercise more than an hour a week reduce risk of breast cancer: A study at University of Northern Colorado

Namita Nayyar (WF Team)

13 years ago

Women over 30 who exercise more than an hour a week reduce risk of breast cancer: A study at University of Northern Colorado

– Reported, May 13, 2012

A group of 4296 women were asked to recall their physical activity levels during four key stages of life: 10 to 15 years old, 15 to 30 years old, 30 to 50 years old, and 50 years old and older.

The odds of developing breast cancer did not appear to change in relation to exercise levels between ages 10 and 30, but women above age 30 significantly cut their chances of developing breast cancer if they were more active, the researchers found.

The study was led by Lisa Sprod of University of Northern Colorado in Greeley and presented at the American College of Sports Medicine’s annual meeting in Seattle.

“An average amount of exercise was defined as 60 minutes per week,” Miss Sprod said. “so anyone exercising less than 60 minutes was below average, above 60 minutes was above average, and anyone that considered themselves ‘highly competitive’ chose that category.”

Fewer women who classified themselves as “highly competitive” between the ages of 30 and 50 developed breast cancer, compared to women who were less physically active.

Women over the age of 30 who exercise for more than an hour a week could reduce their risk of getting breast cancer, according to a new medical study.

Likewise, fewer women who classified themselves as highly competitive at age 50 or older developed breast cancer when compared to women who exercised less than 60 minutes per week.

“Preliminarily,” Sprod said, “the take home message is that accumulating greater physical activity after the age of 30 may play a role in reducing the risk of developing breast cancer.”