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How Exercise Can Positively Affect Hormones

Functions of each hormone in the body and how exercise can improve its performance

Estrogen

Its function: The estrogen hormone is the most important female sex hormone. It contributes to the development of physical features like breasts, the menstrual cycle, and reproduction. It also affects bone health, cholesterol, and more, making it the master multitasker of your endocrine system.

The effect exercise has on it: A well-balanced estrogen hormone is important in a woman, but too much is a major risk factor for breast cancer. And many have excess estrogen circulating for several reasons related to modern life, everything from pesticides to the pill. “Most women, starting around age 35, develop estrogen dominance. Exercise helps keep this hormone in check by reversing this trend, leading to lower risk of breast cancer [1] for premenopausal and postmenopausal women alike,”. In fact, exercise does not only reduce the risk of breast cancer, but it also reduces mortality after diagnosis and among survivors.