reMOVE

We are learning more and more about the relationship between exercise and prostate cancer. Earlier this year, research showed that even a small increase in fitness could reduce your risk of prostate cancer. Higher physical activity levels increase survival of prostate cancer patients from both prostate cancer and other diseases by potentially as much as 30% and 40%. Prostate cancer patients who are active regularly tell us that exercise helps to improve their quality of life and cope with the side effects of their treatment.  

Similar benefits are seen in several other cancers. And of course, we already know that moving regularly brings great benefits to our overall health. 

But we know it can be extremely difficult to get moving, especially when you have been inactive for a long time. 

Thanks to the generous support of Climbers Against Cancer, we are delighted to be launching a small pilot of a structured exercise and health coaching programme to support you to get moving in a way that works for you. 

We are inviting up to 20 people to take place in the first ever reMOVE project. You will join a supportive online community, a dedicated Facebook group and weekly zoom sessions with a coach, and online resources to help you make one small change at a time. You will be given a tailored exercise plan which the coach will work out with you, depending on what you can do, can’t do, and enjoy doing – like a personalized prescription. Prostate Cancer Research can also provide you with a weighing scales, resistance band and activity tracker to help you take part in the programme. 

This pilot is open to newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients as well as those who are worried about they may be at risk of developing prostate cancer, and to people from both rural and urban areas. Please do not worry that you might not be fit enough to take part. 

We ultimately hope to make this a national programme. We will actively listen to our first 20 participants to understand the elements that they found the least/most useful, how easy they found it to stick to the programme, if they would suggest any changes and any benefits they have noticed, and if there are any changes we should make next time. Participants will also be offered the opportunity to be trained so that they can then deliver the programme to others, and help more people and communities to access support and get moving in the way that works for them.  

We are working Back in Charge Blueprint to design and deliver the pilot.