Need another reason to push yourself harder?
By: Sara Bodner
Frequent, vigorous workouts are more effective in reducing your risk of breast cancer than recreational activity.
Researchers at the University of Southern California found that women who did high-intensity sessions, such as swimming or running, for at least five hours per week had a 20 to 30 percent lower risk of breast cancer than women who did more moderate activities (like walking) for less than 30 minutes a week. "Strenuous exercise can lower production of estrogen and progesterone," says lead researcher Leslie Bernstein, Ph.D. "Increased levels of these hormones have been associated with a higher risk of breast cancer." To make sure you're hitting the mark, spend half of your weekly cardio workouts at RPE 6 or 7 (see below for RPE chart).
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READER COMMENTS
Doesn't it seem like they're comparing apples and oranges a bit? Lots of high-intensity vs. almost no moderate-intensity exercise? Given that we're all pretty clear that more exercise is better than less than 30 minutes a week, I would have liked to see a comparison between similar time investments but different intensities. That would be interesting.
— yoginilu
i thought the article was very interesting because i know someone who does have breast cancer and i know the more i can do to prevent it the better, and i think all women should think that. think of that yoginilu.
— debra