As per a new US study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, women who walk briskly are less threatened of getting affected by breast cancer after menopause.

The study was conducted by A. Heather Eliassen and a crew of researchers from Harvard University. The findings are based on the analysis of data from around 100,000 postmenopausal women, who were tracked for 20 years.

Physical activity was associated with lowering risk of developing breast cancer, but the researchers could not relate how moderate exercising help decreasing the risk and no effects could be determined for less active women, if they follow exercising.

The participants in the study during the follow-up period reported about their activity level and type of physical activities they followed.

It was found that those who took at least an hour of brisk walking per day or similar amount of physical activity had 15% less chances of getting affected by breast cancer, as compared to those who did walk for less than an hour. Also, those who used to do little exercise before menopause but increased the same afterwards were 10% less threatened to develop breast cancer.

Over 20 year’s period, breast cancer affected five in every 100 women.

Brisk walking outweighs the affects of skipping or swimming. It is defined as the walk covering four miles per hour at a speed which restricts conversation.