What reduces your risk of breast cancer?

While you can’t change some breast cancer risk factors – family history and aging, for example – there are others that you can control. Here are 5 ways to help protect your breast health:

• Watch your weight as being overweight or obese increases breast cancer risk. This is especially true after menopause and for women who gain weight as adults.
• Exercise regularly because many studies have found that exercise is a breast-healthy habit. Walking 10 hours a week reduced the risk a little more.
• Limit time spent sitting. The evidence is growing that sitting time increases the likelihood of developing cancer, especially for women. Those who spend 6 hours or more each a day sitting when not working had a 10% greater risk for invasive breast cancer.
• Limit alcohol. Research has shown that women who have 2 to 3 alcohol drinks a day have about a 20% higher risk compared to women who don’t drink at all. Excessive drinking increases the risk of other cancer types, too.
• Avoid or limit hormone replacement therapy. Researchers say postmenopausal women who take a combination of estrogen and progestin may be more likely to develop breast cancer.