Physical activity has many health benefits, including weight loss and maintenance, improved insulin sensitivity and improved lipid profile.
An analysis, which was based on the Nurses’Health Study, reported that moderate physical activity was associated with a reduced risk of postmenopausal breast cancer.
The study involved 95,396 postmenopausal women and was followed for 20years.
When compared with women who had less physical activity (i.e. less than 1 hour of walking per week), women who engaged in higher amounts of total physical activity (at least one hour per day of brisk walking) were at a lower risk of breast cancer (15% reduction in breast cancer risk).
The findings suggested that moderate physical activity, including brisk walking, may reduce postmenopausal breast cancer risk and that increases in activity after menopause may be beneficial.
Source: Arch Intern Med. 2010;170(19):1758-1764
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