Posted on 12/29/2006 8:15:33 AM PST by twntaipan
Women who exercise by doing the housework can reduce their risk of breast cancer, a study suggests.
The research on more than 200,000 women from nine European countries found doing household chores was far more cancer protective than playing sport.
Dusting, mopping and vacuuming was also better than having a physical job.
The women in the Cancer Research UK-funded study spent an average of 16 to 17 hours a week cooking, cleaning and doing the washing.
Something as simple and cheap as doing the housework can help Dr Lesley Walker of Cancer Research UK
Experts have long known that physical exercise can reduce the risk of breast cancer, probably through hormonal and metabolic changes.
But it has been less clear how much and what types of exercise are necessary for this risk reduction.
And much of past work has examined the link between exercise and breast cancer in post-menopausal women only.
The latest study looked at both pre- and post-menopausal women and a range of activities, including work, leisure and housework.
All forms of physical activity combined reduced the breast cancer risk in post-menopausal women, but had no obvious effect in pre-menopausal women.
Chores protected
Out of all of the activities, only housework significantly reduced the risk of both pre- and post-menopausal women getting the disease.
Housework cut breast cancer risk by 30% among the pre-menopausal women and 20% among the post-menopausal women.
The women were studied over an average of 6.4 years, during which time there were 3,423 cases of breast cancer.
The international authors said their results suggested that moderate forms of physical activity, such as housework, may be more important than less frequent but more intense recreational physical activity in reducing breast cancer risk.
Dr Lesley Walker of Cancer Research UK said: "We already know that women who keep a healthy weight are less likely to develop breast cancer.
"This study suggests that being physically active may also help reduce the risk and that something as simple and cheap as doing the housework can help."
He recommend that men and women take regular exercise and maintain a healthy body weight to help prevent cancer.
The research is published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention.
I must have missed out, or I have never caught my wife bent over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wonder if a messy house is indicative of a sub-clinical illness.
Work, leisure, and housework? This study is not flawed much.
Yes we do! LOL!
Not until after she puts your clothes in the washer.
Somewhere behind this story is a "wink and a nod".
LOL
I'm so glad to hear that other women experience the same! However, it makes no difference to NerdDad whether I'm bent over or not, if he gets a chance to, he's gonna *ahem* "assert his dominance"!!
I am SO hosed though!! I have packs of dust bunnies!!
Me, too.
Guess I need monthly mammograms now!
"assert his dominance"
'Scuuuuse me!! There is no dominance asserting involved. We men are simply expressing our love and letting yall know that we love and desire you -- even in your grubby moments.
{{Reminder to self: When you find your self in a hole, put the shovel down.}}
You are such a great and caring husband.
What is this iron thing you speak of?
Oh, great. As if I don't have ENOUGH risk factors for breast cancer! :)
Both my grandfathers are alive, my greats didn't pass that long ago, and I have a photo of me with a great great grandfather born 3 years before the end of the civil war. This is proven anecdotal science :-) You need to get off your ass and get a fishing pole in your hands immediately, your life could depend on it!
What a bunch of BS!
The Femi-NAZI are not going to take this laying down; will they sweep it under the carpet?
That's stupid. It's probably your house that GIVES you cancer. What with all the synthetic materials and chemical products. Ammonia, cleansers, bug spray, hair spray, bleach, outgassing of carpets (and cars), plastics, vinyl -- I can't even think of the multitude of products that we have to breathe and come into contact with each day. What a ridiculously flawed study.
I'm waiting for the study that shows shopping cuts risk of breast cancer.
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