Unless you slept through the entire month of October, you noticed that it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I have been especially affected by this disease since my mother and grandmother are both breast cancer survivors. And, chances are good that each of you have a family member or know of someone that has been affected by breast cancer.

As in all diseases, there is no 100% way to control whether we are afflicted or not, and while that may sound hopeless let me state that differently → there are many things that we can do to lower the chances that we will become afflicted and/or survive if we do, and to my pleasure, exercise is one such factor. Doing regular exercise will cut down your risk of developing the disease, as well as preventing its return if you're a survivor. Let's see how exercise reduces your risk of breast cancer and gives you other health benefits.

One hour of walking at a 2 to 3 mph pace lowers your risk a little. Three to five hours weekly of brisk walking gives you the most protection from breast cancer. You could vary that by switching activities-try jogging, hiking, swimming, cycling, or other activities that get you moving. Studies show that breast cancer survivors who spent 3 to 5 hours each week (or about half an hour a day) doing exercise had the best survival rates. And for prevention of breast cancer recurrence, the American Cancer Society recommends that you exercise for 30 to 45 minutes at least five days each week.

Regular exercise and a diet that is low in fat and high in fruits and vegetables lowers your levels of estradiol and estrone, two kinds of estrogen. Although women need estrogens, overexposure to estrogen can lead to breast cancer. Eighty percent of all breast cancers are fueled by estrogen. Exercise is a natural way to reduce your estrogen levels, as well as reducing other hormones that can cause breast cells to turn into cancer.

Women who are overweight produce and store more estrogen in their bodies than women who have a healthy lower body mass index (BMI). Also, obese women often have a greater amount of breast tissue, and it is more difficult to detect breast tumors in obese women, as compared to lean women. This can lead to detection at a more advanced stage of cancer, when it's harder to treat.

Studies showed that breast cancer survivors of any age or menopausal status can reduce their risk of recurrence and improve their survival rates. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology reported that exercise reduced mortality from all causes in breast cancer survivors by 50%, when combined with a healthy diet. These results were true for lean and obese women.

In summary, whether you're trying to prevent breast cancer or recover from treatment, exercise extends your survival. Regular exercise and a healthy diet improve your overall health and provides psychological benefits as well. So, there you have it. . . even ONE MORE reason to get moving!