Women who are active on the job or doing housework have a lower risk of breast cancer, researchers say.
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October 1, 2001
By Howard LeWine, M.D.
Harvard Medical School
How does this article relate to me?
Decreasing your risk of breast cancer is the newest benefit of increasing your physical activity. The evidence continues to pile in — you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by moving your body. What is most interesting and, for many of us, the easiest to take, is that the findings don't mean you have to go to the gym. Yes, getting fit is probably optimal, but just sitting less and walking more also means health improvement.
What changes do I need to make? The toughest part is getting started. But the rewards are immediate, even if you are just a little more active than the day before. Unlike quitting smoking, where cutting down by one cigarette per day doesn't work, moving your muscles for three minutes more from one day to the next makes a huge difference. And even if you have a minor setback for a couple days, pick up where you left off, you are still ahead.
Think of it as a savings account. If you are trying to save one dollar a day, but you only saved 25 dollars for the month, you are still ahead. And like saving, the interest on activity and exercise compounds with time.
What can I expect in the future?
The next wave of physical-activity research needs to be in the area of behavioral change. We need studies that find out the best motivators to exercise regularly. For now, keep it simple: Add one more activity today that you didn't do yesterday. And make that a habit. Then add another and do the same.
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