MORE than one in three of us will get cancer. For most of us it will be the toughest and scariest fights we could and will ever face. In the past few years, a number of people around me have been affected by cancer in one way or another, two of these people being personal training clients.

Fortunately they are both recovering great and are fighting fit again. A big part of their recovery process, building up to and after their surgery was that they took part in physical activity. I have been training them for a few years now, so they are fit and healthy and therefore their recovery has been brilliant. With one of my clients, we trained all the way up to his surgery and throughout his treatment he continued to do plenty of walking and is now back to full personal training sessions with me and taking part in my senior class once a week too.

When you are living with or after cancer, becoming more active can be a positive change to make in your life. It helps reduce the risk of health problems such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. There’s also evidence that being active benefits people affected by cancer. A lot of cancer patients say it helps them feel as if they are doing as much as they can to stay strong during their treatment.

During treatment, doctors advise patients to limit the time they spend sitting or lying down. If you are not active you can lose muscle strength, cardiorespiratory fitness and can generally feel tired and have less energy.

Being active can be doing normal day to day jobs such as housework, gardening or walking to the shops. Or it could even be something a little more energetic like swimming, an exercise class or going to the gym. How much and what the patient chooses would depend on where they are with their treatment, what kind of things they enjoy and also their level of fitness.

If you or someone you know is going through treatment or have been affected by cancer and have any concerns about becoming more active, then you should ask your doctor, nurse, physiotherapist or cancer exercise specialist. As long as you do what’s safe and comfortable for you, then being active can and will benefit you in many ways.