Ovarian Cancer Risk for Inactive Women

If you are a woman who, for instance, rarely goes to the gym, rides instead of walks, soaks the sun but doesn’t swim the swim, has imprinted her body image into her couch, you may want to put down your snack and read this.

As you continue to duck and dodge the multitude of cancers that seem to hover over you at any given moment, here’s another stat:

“In this large pooled analysis [20,921 women] examining the association between recreational physical inactivity and EOC [epithelial ovarian cancer] risk, we observed consistent evidence of an association between chronic inactivity and all EOC histotypes [tumor growth].” (Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention 5/6/16)

In laypeople’s terms, according to this study,

There is a 34% risk of ovarian cancer afflicting women who do not exercise.

The Ugly Truth

Ovarian cancer is rising. This is a disease that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), kills about 20,000 women every year as “the eighth most common cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer death, after lung and bronchus, breast, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers.”

These are startling statistics that might get you moving. According to Dr. Kirsten Moysich, senior author and professor of oncology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute,

“What we found, is that it is not OK to do nothing. Physical inactivity over a lifetime increases the risk of developing ovarian cancer and makes it more likely you will die if you get it,”

Non-Conventional Activities that Keep You Fit

Exercise may seem like a threatening activity to some women, especially those that are burning the candle at both ends every single day. How are you supposed to fit in a gym workout when you are raising kids, juggling a job, keeping up schedules and so forth?

Well, there are ways to readjust your routine to implement a much needed activity schedule even though it may not be the conventional gym rat scenario. Dr. Moysich comments,

“Women don’t have to run marathons to benefit. They just have to incorporate in their lives modest amounts of exercise other than tending to daily activities.”

She goes on to explain the ease at which exercise can be incorporated such as, “regularly getting up from a desk at work and taking a brief walk, or parking the car at a farther space at the supermarket to lengthen the walk to the store.” (Natural News)

All it takes is these and other clever ways to get your blood moving such as:

• A 30 minute brisk walk around the neighborhood
• Swimming laps
• Taking the stairs instead of the elevator
• A gentle workout at a local gym 3x per week
• Taking a dance class to add into your routine
• Riding a bike for at least 30 minutes 3x per week

Preventative Add-Ons

There are no preventive screening tests for ovarian cancer so in addition to exercise, switching up some of your dietary habits is proven to be an essential preventative tool.

Processed Meat Danger

It has been known for some time that eating processed meat may pose a variety of health concerns, especially when it comes to female wellness.

According to a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (6/9/10) Australian researchers concluded that,

“Our results suggest that low consumption of processed meat and higher consumption of poultry and fish may reduce the risk of ovarian cancer.”

Try to eat more fruits, vegetables, legumes ad grains. If you do want to eat meat, make an effort to eat less as well as choose organic, free-range poultry and fish brands when you do.

Go Green

Green tea has long been a significant health tonic, renowned for its high antioxidant contents. Natural News reports that,

“A study published in the International Journal of Cancer followed more than 61,000 women over the course of 15 years, discovered that those who drank one cup of green tea every day had a 24 percent lower risk of developing the disease, while those who drank two or more cups had a 46 percent lower risk.”

 

Don’t sit and wait for ovarian cancer and other disease to find you, keep moving to stay out of its crosshairs. All it takes is a little extra physical activity and a clean diet to enhance your preventative and overall health.