The essential factor with exercise is that it should not just be a passing fad but be a way of life. 

It is important to take up a regular recreational or sporting activity. The ultimate choice of course depends on numerous factors such as local availability, individual abilities, previous experience and preferences, what friends and family also like to do, cost and time pressures. If this activity is to be sustained, the fundamental issues are that it should be enjoyable and convenient. On top of this, we can increase the amount of exercise we perform by simple changes in our daily routine:- 

Exercise as our daily routine  - throughout the day we have several choices, which require more or less levels of exertion - try to take the more active option:

• Walking instead of using the car for short journeys.
•  Try getting off the bus or tube one stop earlier. 
• Use the stairs instead of the lift and walk rather than stand on the escalator. 
• When watching TV or sitting at a desk try to get up and walk around for a few minutes at every break. 
• Buy a comfortable pair of training shoes and walk around the block for 10 minutes every evening before your evening meal. 

The trick with exercise is that it must be performed regularly. If an evening is missed out consider going lunch time instead, if a day is missed consider going twice the next day to catch up. All too often people who say they exercise regularly, when asked closely have excuses, often legitimate, for missing most of the days of the week. It may be worth keeping a wall chart or exercise diary as an aide memoir. 

Remember is it important to perform basic stretching as well as exercise; try to set aside five minutes every day for a gentle stretching session, just before getting into bed is a good time.

Further general information Your doctors and specialist nurses are in an ideal position to give you relevant information on your disease and treatment as they know your individual circumstances. Cancerbackup has a help line (0808 800 1234) and a prize winning video available in English, Italian, Urdu, Bengali, Gujarati & Hindi explaining Radiotherapy & Chemotherapy. Cancernet.co.uk has over 500 pages describing cancer, its management, practical tips and tool which patients, their carers and their doctors have found helpful during the cancer journey.