Regular Exercise Maintains Bone Density in Older Breast Cancer Survivors

Regular physical activity is known to benefit every part of the body, including the mind. But exercise has a lot more to offer as a new study uncovers the benefits of physical activity on older breast cancer survivors.

The study documented in the Springer's Journal of Cancer Survivorship claims that regular exercise ensures steady maintenance of bone density in older breast cancer survivors and also helps prevent fractures. The study was conducted by Jessica Dobek of Oregon Health and Science University.

Older breast cancer survivors who undergo a combined effects of cancer treatment, aging and lack of physical activity,  have to deal with several challenges when it come to maintaining a healthy body as well as optimal physical functioning. This is because cancer treatment is linked with loss of lean body mass, loss of bone density and excess of body fat. This body changes makes the older breast cancer survivors more susceptible to fractures, recurrence of breast cancer as well diseases linked with obesity.

An effective technique to fight back these side effects is regular physical exercise. Through this study, the researchers noticed that one-year-long exercise program (resistance and impact training) not only helped in building body muscle strength but also avoiding bone loss in the breast cancer survivors.

In order to determine whether or not these benefits reversed at the end of the intervention, the researchers conducted follow up tests a year later on a group of 44 women who were earlier a part of the original study. The researchers had measured the participants' bone mineral density of hip as well as spine, muscle mass, fat mass and maximal upper and lower body strength, according to a news release.

This study is the first to present the long term alterations in the composition of body and muscle strength in older breast cancer survivors who had earlier taken part in supervised resistance and impact training intervention trail.

The researchers noticed that even if the formal exercise training stops the spine bone mineral density can be preserved in the breast cancer survivors.

Dobek concluded saying, "Exercise programs aimed at improving musculoskeletal health should be considered in the long-term care plan for breast cancer survivors. Though further work is needed, our results may provide a beginning knowledge about the type, volume and length of exercise training needed to preserve bone health among long-term cancer survivors at risk of fracture."