Breast cancer is a common malignant tumor in women, with high incidence and mortality rates. In recent years, the incidence of breast cancer in China has been rapidly increasing at a rate of about 3% per year, and it has become the number one malignant tumor in women in major cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai.
There is a characteristic of breast cancer in Chinese women, which is the younger age of onset. The incidence of breast cancer in women over 30 years old begins to increase, and peaks at the age of 40-49, which is 10-15 years earlier than women in the West.
Young women with breast cancer often have their social activities affected, and it may even endanger their marital relationships and family harmony, bringing them immense psychological pressure and mental burden, and causing them to lose confidence in life. Cases of suicidal thoughts resulting from this have also been found in clinical practice.
Therefore, the prevention and treatment of breast cancer is urgent, and breast cancer patients also need the joint care of their families and society.
Exercise Can Prevent Cancer
The saying "life lies in movement" has gradually been proven, widely accepted, and regarded as a creed.
Research has shown that if women exercise more during adolescence and early adulthood, their chances of developing breast cancer during perimenopause are 23% lower than women who are sedentary and do not exercise regularly. The women with the lowest risk of breast cancer, on average, exercise for 3 hours and 15 minutes per week, mainly through running. Middle-aged women who exercise more after menopause can reduce the incidence of breast cancer. The ages of 12 to 22 are the optimal period for exercise in women, and experts recommend various forms of exercise such as running and walking. If women walk briskly for 30 minutes every day, it not only helps with weight loss but also reduces the risk of breast cancer.
Home-based aerobic exercise therapy has a therapeutic effect on cancer-related fatigue in breast cancer outpatient chemotherapy patients. Cancer-related fatigue is a series of subjective feelings caused by long-term chemotherapy, including physical weakness, lack of concentration, lack of endurance, and decreased interest. A targeted aerobic exercise program is developed for patients based on their individual conditions. Rehabilitation treatment is carried out scientifically and systematically, with appropriate exercise content, time, intensity, and frequency for patients, paying attention to various matters and preventing complications and accidents. Forms of exercise can include walking, crawling, and cycling, with exercise sessions lasting 20-30 minutes and exercise frequency of 3-5 times per week, lasting for 8 weeks.
Research has shown that home-based aerobic exercise can significantly reduce energy consumption, improve physical skills, and alleviate fatigue. It also has a soothing effect on patients' emotions, effectively reducing their negative emotions and reducing their sense of helplessness in controlling fatigue symptoms.
Combining Dynamic and Static Exercises for Both Body and Mind
Traditional Chinese medicine attaches great importance to the important role of exercise in preventing and treating diseases, and opposes a sedentary lifestyle. "The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon" states: "Long-term vision damages blood, long-term sitting damages flesh, long-term lying damages qi." The ancient medical sage Hua Tuo created the "Five Animal Frolics" for physical fitness. Many health-preserving exercises have been passed down through the ages, such as Tai Chi, Eight Section Brocade, Baguazhang, and Guiding Exercises.
Traditional Chinese medicine recognizes the role of exercise in health but emphasizes the combination of movement and stillness, and the cultivation of body and mind. Tai Chi exercises the body through movement, and calms the mind through regulating breath and focusing the mind. It achieves a dual cultivation of body and mind. Multiple studies have shown that Tai Chi can improve immune function by regulating the body's immune mechanisms, while also cultivating temperament. Tai Chi is gentle, graceful, and suitable for cancer patients in the rehabilitation period.
Exercise for Cancer Prevention Varies from Person to Person
People's health status, physique, and even personality, hobbies, and disease-causing factors are all different, so the choice of exercise should first be suitable for oneself. In addition, having an interest in the exercise can make it more enjoyable, as long-term negative emotions such as anger, sadness, and worry are important factors contributing to the onset of breast cancer. It is also easier to stick to an exercise routine when it is something one is interested in.
Exercise should be moderate. Research results from both domestic and foreign studies have shown that excessive exercise for a long time can cause a decline in immune function, and may also lead to arthritis, anemia in adolescents, and menstrual disorders in women, and even accelerate the aging process.
Experts recommend controlling the heart rate during exercise at (170-age), breaking a light sweat, and feeling refreshed the next day. It is best to exercise for 30-60 minutes per day, 5 days a week, preferably in the afternoon or evening.
