Encouraging people with cancer to become more active

Patient Information Leaflet

Who we are:

Doctors and health professionals used to advise people to rest as much as possible during and following cancer treatment, but due to growing evidence this has now changed.

Action Health is a specialist service that helps and supports cancer patients to be more active. Keeping active is one of the best ways to make a positive difference to your life, at what ever stage of cancer treatment you might be. Our programme, run by Action Health team, means that there is now an exercise specialist trained in working with cancer patients who will help you with safe and effective ways of being active.

How does being active help?

Being active during and after treatment can help:

• Reduce tiredness, stress and anxiety
• Look after your bones
• Look after your heart
• Keep your weight healthy
• Improve your quality of life
• To reduce your risk in recurrence or developing other cancers.

Its good to move!

Whatever your health, regular physical activity can help you feel better. But being more active can be challenging, particularly if you are dealing with a difficult illness. So its important to get advice before you start. The Action health team will give you tailored, individual advice.

Once you have been referred to Action health team, you will be assessed by a specialist who has been trained in working with people with cancer, and who will then discuss with you the ways in which you can increase your physical activity. This might be through exercise at home, attending a gym or fitness centre local to where you live, or by attending the Action heart centre, at Russells Hall Hospital, for a 12 week supervised exercise programme.

We want to support you to start regular, sustainable physical activity and any discussion with our team would include:

• Planning safe and effective exercise that meets your personal needs and abilities
• Overcoming concerns
• Finding suitable activities to build your physical fitness in a way that suits you
• Managing side effects or after effects of treatment
• Choosing enjoyable physical activities that fit into your life and match your interests
• Planning ongoing support to help you keep active as long as you would like.

Get in touch:

To see if you are able to join this programme, please speak to your clinical nurse specialist, living with and beyond cancer team, hospital consultant or GP. These people are your first point of contact and they can refer you to Action Health team.

The Action Health team look forward to working with you to help you achieve your goals and improve your health and wellbeing.

For more information:

The Action Health Team
c/o Action Heart
Russells Hall Hospital
Dudley
DY1 2HQ

TELEPHONE: 01384456111 EXT 1470

EMAIL: actionhealth@actionheart.com

If you have any questions, or if there is anything you do not understand, please contact the Russells Hall Hospital switchboard number on 01384 456111 and ask for the relevant department who issued this leaflet. If you have any feedback on this patient information leaflet please email dgft.patient.information@nhs.net

This leaflet can be made available in large print, audio version and in other languages, please call 0800 073 0510.

Originator:. Russell Tipson / Angela Nicholls Date 1^st November 2024  Review date: 1^st November 2027 Version: 1 DGH ref: DGH/PIL/02222