Breast Cancer Seminar Review 2014: The Importance of Exercise

Today's post discusses the importance of exercise to cancer patients at any stage of recovery, drawing on talks given by Ted Poulter, physical activity adviser to Macmillan, and Barbara Gallani, yoga specialist, at our recent July 2014 seminar ' Breast Cancer - The Power of Choice'. If you are interested in putting some of these ideas into practice, Barbara is running a specialised yoga workshop with us on Monday 13th October, for more information and a link to buy tickets please see our events page here.

As more and more studies are showing, exercise is an entirely natural and harm-free way to effectively support cancer treatment and recovery. At our major annual seminar we were fortunate to hear from two experts, Ted Poulter and Barbara Gallani, who offered practical advice on how to go about improving health with physical activity.

Ted is a senior adviser for Macmillan and having been through cancer treatment himself, offered a very personal understanding and overview of the importance of physical activity for recovery. Ted began by admitting it was a lot easier to preach than to practice but by the end of his talk it was clear that this was an effort worth making. Studies by the ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) shows that exercise has no adverse effects and can improve health in many areas including aerobic capacity, muscular strength, reducing fatigue, slowing disease progression and contributing to protection from recurrence. Benefits have been studied in breast, colorectal, prostate and haematological cancer (which account for 50% of cancers in the UK) and particularly in breast cancer.

The Road to Transylvania 2014 pt. 5 - The Ride of a Lifetime

Today's post is from our champion cyclist and fundraiser Paul Stevens who recounts his Transfagarasan cycle challenge, all in the name of raising money for Yes to Life. The total stands at over £2000 and if Paul's incredible efforts have been an inspiration to you then it is still possible to donate here. Congratulations Paul and a huge thank you from Yes to Life!

I have just arrived back from my Romanian cycle trip and I have to say it was one of the best times so far where scenery and memories were concerned, albeit the absolute worst so far in terms of cycling in pain! Coming back to find out I had exceeded my fundraising target however made it all worth while, so I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who sponsored me.

For those of you who have been following my adventure, or those taking a new interest in the inadvisable things you can attempt with a bicycle, here is a little about each day -

Yes to Life - Ten Years On

Today's post is written by Yes to Life's founder Robin Daly, who discusses how the charity came into being, the journey it has taken in the last decade and the personal reasons he is determined to see it continue to grow.

This summer it is ten years since the event that propelled me into creating Yes to Life as a charity - the untimely death of my beautiful 23 year old daughter, Bryony. At that time, Yes to Life already existed as a Trust to raise money for treatment to help Bryony, and the desperate need for a charity to support others with cancer looking for answers outside of standard treatments had already been acknowledged.

Top 10 benefits of omega-3 EPA for cancer patients

Today's post is written by Sophie Tully and Dr Nina Bailey from Igennus Healthcare Nutrition, which focuses on providing natural means of improving health based on scientific research.

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is a long-chain omega-3 fat which is associated with considerable health benefits. Much research has been carried out to understand the role of EPA in heart, brain and mental health; a huge body of evidence is emerging to show that EPA plays a significant role in the prevention, control and recovery from cancer. Here are the top actions of EPA in cancer prevention and recovery, according to the latest published research. 

The Road to Transylvania 2014 pt. 4 - The Final Training Post

Today is our fourth post from Paul Stevens, a long-time Yes to Life supporter who is about to take on a mammoth cycle adventure to Transylvania, raising over £2000 for Yes to Life! Thanks Paul for your incredible effort and wishing you the very best of luck.

This year’s ride really started in Piccadilly in January, at a meeting between me and Robin Daly of Yes to Life. Having completed BIKEast, it was time to put in place BIKEast II. We planned and schemed and eventually, Robin left the whole thing in my hands. (Thanks Robin!!!) 

It was decided to make this years ride a ‘one-off’, allowing all of the trusty bikers to talk en-route about what we would like to do from 2015 onwards. (Watch this space!)