Can physical activity prevent breast Cancer?

Exercise is beneficial because it helps balancing energy intake and energy expenditure, therefore preventing obesity. Physical activity also has other benefits for the prevention of cancer, unrelated to its beneficial effects on body weight. These benefits include the beneficial effect of physical activity on metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome, also known as syndrome X is characterized by the following:

–        insulin resistance (causing elevated blood sugars)

–        elevated LDL (bad) and decreased HDL (good) cholesterol levels

–        elevated blood pressure

–        abnormalities in blood clotting 

Two important factors associated with the development of metabolic syndrome are low physical activity and excess calorie intake. Thus, regular physical activity can not only help prevent metabolic syndrome, it can help to reverse the effects of metabolic syndrome.

Insulin resistance refers to the body’s inability to utilize insulin effectively, leading to elevated blood sugars. Exercise has been shown to reducing the body’s requirements for insulin to utilize blood sugars, as well as reduce LDL and increase HDL cholesterol levels regardless of its beneficial effect on body weight.  The greatest health benefits occur when sedentary persons incorporate moderate-intensity exercise into their lifestyle.