Sometimes there’s only one thing you can do when life deals you a hard blow – that’s give your system a thorough physical workout. There’s no better way than getting something off your chest (or your mind) than sweating it out. Because no one can deny, the world has thrown us all a few hard blows recently, and getting your sweat on to increase those endorphins can definitely be a way of helping to shift some of the stress.
Physical activity, as we all know, has a myriad of health and psychological benefits. But what’s less talked about is the protection it offers not only against developing breast cancer, but also in the healing process following a diagnosis. It’s not known exactly why it plays such a large part, but it’s thought to do with reducing levels of circulating hormones within the body that are associated with increased breast cancer risk, while also reducing inflammation, which helps prevent cancer development and progression.
You may be surprised to hear that regular physical activity can reduce your risk of getting breast cancer by around 20%. And women already diagnosed with breast cancer who do a high amount of physical activity have a 40%2 lower risk of death from any cause, a 30%2 lower risk of death from breast cancer and around a 25%2,3 lower risk of recurrence of the disease, compared to those who do little or none.
You’ve got to admit, for those of us umming and ahhing about whether to go for that run, workout, or walk, those percentages really do show that getting yourself off the sofa and into your gym gear might be a worthy trade-off.
This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Breast Cancer UK has teamed up with Boody to get that valuable message out. The 25 Saves Lives campaign is all about encouraging people to acknowledge that 20%1 less risk really is worth the bother of a run around the park; a cycle ride; or even a vigorous hoover!
Why 25? Because at least 25% of breast cancer cases could be prevented if people modified their lifestyles by being more physically active, eating better food and avoiding harmful chemicals.
And that’s where Boody come in – Breast Cancer UK are proud to stand with them on their exercise wear which is produced without using harmful chemicals. If you want to look good and be active at the same time, Boody is the whole package!
So why not join the 25 Saves Lives campaign to get physical. And if you can raise funds for breast cancer research at the same time you can feel doubly good about your workout.
We’ve got some fantastic ideas about how you can use the number 25 in your exercise routines – and we would love to showcase all your hard-won achievements on our social media pages. So why not get that vacuum cleaner out for 25 laps of the most thorough winter clean your home has yet to experience – we’re looking forward to seeing the pictures!
Boody are also offering 25% off their Active Wear during October to all readers who sign up to the mailing list – voucher code and instructions will be sent via email.
Click HERE to sign up.
References
- Guo et al (2020). Physical Activity and Breast Cancer Risk: Results from the UK Biobank Prospective Cohort. British Journal of Cancer 122: 726-732. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41416-019-0700-6
- Spei, et al (2019). Physical Activity in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis on overall and Breast Cancer Survival. The Breast (2019): 144-152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.breast.2019.02.001
- Lahart et al (2019). Physical activity, risk of death and recurrence in breast cancer survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological studies. Acta Oncologica 54 2015 5. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/0284186X.2014.998275
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