Housework Has Extra Benefit

By NORRIS, Joanna

Taking time to vacuum under the beds and behind the couch may not only keep the house clean, but may save your life, researchers say.

Doing housework can substantially cut women’s chances of developing breast cancer, a study of more than 218,000 women in nine European countries has found.

The study compared the benefits of different types of exercise and found pre- menopausal women who did housework were 30 per cent less likely to develop breast cancer than women who did none.

The research, published in the January edition of Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention, said the results showed further evidence that moderate forms of activity, such as household activity, may be more valuable than less frequent, but more intense, physical activity.

The New Zealand Cancer Society also recommends exercise as a valuable way to combat cancer.

“There is convincing evidence that being regularly physically active reduces the risk of developing some of the most common cancers,” Cancer Society advice says.

Christchurch woman Jessica Ross does housework at least twice a week.

Ross, who has a young child, said she often ran around the house cleaning up, and she found the exercise useful.

“Vacuuming is good exercise. It’s a good thing to do on a cold day when you need to be warm,” she said.

It was pleasing to know that all the hard work is not in vain.

“It’s good to know there are some benefits,” she said.

The Cancer Society says there is convincing evidence that being overweight or obese increases the risk of some of the most common cancers.

Dietary factors are estimated to account for 30 per cent of cancers in industrialised countries, making diet second only to tobacco as a theoretically preventable cause of cancer.

About 2500 New Zealanders are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.

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