For most people, maintaining an exercise routine isn’t easy–but here’s one reason why you should start. According to a new study published in the journal Cancer, researchers found that breast cancer survivors who exercised the most were 34 percent less likely to die as fast as those who didn’t stay physically active.
Unfortunately, researchers only found that 35 percent of the participants polled exercised enough according to national exercise guidelines–and this number increased to 40 percent for African American women.
“Despite compelling evidence demonstrating the benefits of physical activity after a diagnosis of breast cancer, it is clear that more work needs to be done to promote physical activity in patients with breast cancer, especially among African American women,” say researchers. “Only 35% of study participants met current physical activity guidelines after diagnosis with breast cancer.”
The Research
In the study, which was led by researchers from the University of North Carolina, they analyzed information collected during the Carolina Breast Study, a study which tracked the health of 1,735 breast cancer survivors in North Carolina. Researchers conducted interviews to see how active they were after being treated for breast cancer–which, unfortunately, decreased for 59 percent of the participants. They then compared the data to the mortality rate in the group.
First, they found a higher rate of inactivity among African American women, suggesting race plays a part in physical inactivity.
“After adjustment for potential confounders, when compared with white women, African American women were less likely to meet national physical activity guidelines after diagnosis and reported less weekly postdiagnosis physical activity,” say researchers. “A decrease in activity after diagnosis was reported by 59% of patients, with the average study participant reducing their activity by 15 metabolic equivalent task (MET) hours.”
In addition, researchers found that those who exercised minimally faced a significantly higher risk of dying earlier. Those who exercised the most, or above the national guidelines set for exercise, were 35 percent less likely to die earlier, however, though the reasons why could not be determined.
Overall, this study shows exercise matters–and not just for a slimmer body.
“Medical care providers should discuss the role physical activity plays in improving breast cancer outcomes with their patients, and strategies that may be successful in increasing physical activity among breast cancer patients need to be comprehensively evaluated and implemented,” says Brionna Hair, study author and a doctoral candidate at the University of North Carolina.
What You Should Do
Even if you don’t have breast cancer, you can still follow their advice–to live longer, simply exercise more. Those who exercise the most statistically live longer, healthier lives, as well as have better survival rates when it comes to cancer.
Readers: How often do you exercise? Do you think you should exercise more?
Sources:
Insufficient Exercise May Compromise Survival Rates for Breast Cancer Patients – FoxNews.com
Study: Poor Exercise May Cause Breast Cancer Patients to Die Sooner; African American Women More Likely to Avoid It – Wiley.com
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