Dr Hilary discusses Julia Bradbury’s breast cancer diagnosis
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Around 55,200 people are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the UK – that’s around 150 people a day. Survival for breast cancer is strongly related to the stage of the disease at diagnosis and the sooner you spot it the more likely you are to survive. However, prevention is always better than cure and there are plenty of things you can do to reduce your risk of developing breast cancer in the first place. Keeping physically active and fit is one way to lower your chances of getting breast cancer. Express.co.uk reveals the top 13 exercises to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
Exercise can reduce the risk of most types of cancer significantly, including breast cancer.
Engaging in regular physical activity is good for you for a number of reasons from improving cardiovascular health to boosting your mood, and reducing your risk of breast cancer is another benefit.
There is evidence exercise can help to prevent breast cancer directly and indirectly.
The first way exercise can help you to prevent breast cancer is by reducing your hormone levels.
Cancer Research UK explains that being active and the amount of fat you have can affect the levels of some types of hormones in the body.
The advice reads: “Hormones are chemical messages that move around the body to tell different parts what to do.
“Oestrogen and insulin are hormones that could encourage breast cells to divide more often.
“If cells divide too much and grow out of control this can lead to cancer.
“As keeping a healthy weight and doing lots of activity can reduce the levels of oestrogen and insulin in the body, this could help to prevent breast cancer.”
Exercise can massively boost your immune system, helping to prevent cancer.
According to Cancer Research UK, being very active can make your immune system work more effectively.
The site explains: “This means the body gets better at spotting cells which could go on to become cancer. It can then remove these cells before they cause harm.”
The 13 best exercises to reduce the risk of breast cancer
You don’t need to lift heavy weights or sprint on a treadmill every day to reduce your risk of breast cancer.
Cancer Research UK recommends making small changes to your daily routine and creating new habits to help you to get more active and stay active.
Don’t panic if you’ve never been keen on exercising before, it’s never too late to reduce your risk.
Being more active isn’t as tricky as you’d think, you should aim to be more active every single day for at least 10 minutes.
The NHS recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week, which is anything that gets you slightly out of breath.
Cancer Research recommends the following 13 types of exercise to help you stay active and prevent breast cancer:
- Household chores e.g. Hoovering or DIY
- Dancing to the radio
- Gardening e.g. digging with a spade or fork or mowing the lawn
- Online classes – from strength training to belly dancing, there are lots of free videos for you to try out
- Take phone calls whilst standing up or on the move (walking meetings)
- Ask for a standing desk if possible
- Take the stairs instead of a lift
- Get off your train or bus a stop early
- Cycle or do a brisk walk for all or part of your journey
- Give a new sport a go such as football, running or tennis – you could join a local club or head to the park with friends or colleagues
- Go swimming or try something different like water aerobics
- Gymnastics classes or dance lessons can be a great way to meet new people whilst exercising
- Try out yoga or pilates – these are good for building strength, and there are plenty of videos for beginners available online
- Simply suggest a walk to catch up with friends
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