Breastcancer.org

Doing the minimum amount of recommended exercise per week — 2.5 hours — both before and after being diagnosed with breast cancer with a high risk of recurrence is linked to better survival and a lower risk of recurrence, according to a study.

The research was published online on April 2, 2020, in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Read the abstract of “Physical activity, before, during and after chemotherapy for high-risk breast cancer: relationships with survival.”

Federal exercise guidelines

Regular exercise is an important part of being as healthy as you can be. More and more research shows that exercise can reduce the risk of breast cancer coming back (recurrence) if you've been diagnosed, as well as the risk of developing breast cancer if you’ve never been diagnosed.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommends that adults should do:

• at least 2.5 hours to 5 hours of exercise at moderate intensity per week; brisk walking is considered moderate intensity
• or 75 minutes to 2.5 hours of exercise at vigorous intensity per week; running or other high-intensity cardio is considered vigorous intensity

The HHS also recommends that adults should do muscle-strengthening exercises 2 or more days per week.

A number of organizations, including the American Cancer Society and the American College of Sports Medicine, have published exercise recommendations specifically for people living with and beyond cancer. Still, most people who have been diagnosed with cancer don’t exercise regularly.

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