Auburn Racquet & Fitness Club

New research shows that exercise during the teen years can help protect girls from breast cancer when they are older. For the study, which was published in the May Issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, researchers tracked nearly 65,000 women ages 24-42 who answered questions about their physical activity dating back to age 12. Women who were physically active as teens and young adults were 23% less likely to develop premenopausal breast cancer than women who grew up sedentary. The biggest effect was with women who engaged in regular exercise from ages 12-22. The women at lowest risk reported participating in at least three hours and 15 minutes of running or other vigorous activity per week, or 13 hours per week of walking.

Researchers say that, in young women, physical activity lowers estrogen levels, which may help lower cancer risk later on.