Move

Regular exercise is linked to meaningfully lower breast cancer risk in BRCA carriers, especially if it starts young.^{[1]Columbia Mailman School of Public Health: moderate physical activity lowers breast cancer risk, even in BRCA carriers} Beyond that specific finding, the general protocol below is just good exercise science, useful whether or not you carry a mutation.

Hit both targets, not just cardio

The standard cancer-prevention target is 150 to 300 minutes of moderate cardio a week, or about half that if you're going hard.^{[2]American Cancer Society Guideline for Diet and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention} Exercise-oncology guidelines add a second target most people skip: resistance training, roughly 2 to 3 sessions a week, 6 to 10 exercises, 8 to 15 reps each.^{[3]ACSM exercise oncology recommendations: aerobic + resistance training} Cardio and strength aren't interchangeable, they do different jobs.

Walk for 10 minutes after you eat

A short walk in the hour after a meal measurably blunts the blood sugar spike that follows, more effectively than the same walk taken at some other time of day.^{[4]10-minute post-meal walk and postprandial glucose response} It's one of the highest-leverage, lowest-effort habits in this whole list.

Track steps, but don't chase 10,000

The often-quoted 10,000-step target isn't where the research actually lands. Benefits show up well before that, and each additional 1,000 steps a day is associated with a 12 to 15 percent lower risk of dying from any cause, with the biggest returns below roughly 8,800 steps.^{[5]Daily step count and all-cause mortality/cardiovascular risk (JACC)} A phone in your pocket already tracks this. Use it.

Get outside within an hour of waking

Morning light exposure triggers a healthy spike in cortisol that helps set your circadian rhythm for the day, which in turn makes it easier to wind down and sleep at night.^{[6]Morning light exposure and the cortisol awakening response} A walk outside first thing does double duty: it's both movement and light exposure in one habit.

This page is general information, not medical advice.