Sir Chris Hoy and PureGym Join Forces to Tackle Prostate Cancer Through Exercise

Inspired by Sir Chris Hoy’s personal battle with prostate cancer, PureGym have teamed up with The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust to encourage and support men with prostate cancer to exercise.

Sir Chris has been part of the PureGym family for many years, so we are proud to support him in his mission to improve the quality of life for many other men living with prostate cancer

We will offer a free one-year gym memberships for men with advanced prostate cancer on hormone therapy, working in collaboration with experts at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and The Royal Marsden to provide a structured exercise programme.

Advanced prostate cancer affects around 20,000 men in the UK each year. The main treatment is hormone therapy - side effects include weight gain driven by increase in body fat and muscle loss, fatigue and psychological changes. Long term, these treatments increase the risk of bone thinning, heart disease and diabetes.

Research has shown that exercise can result in a better quality of life for men on hormone therapy, with less fatigue, lower body fat and higher muscle mass, and improved bone density. NHS guidelines recommend that men with advanced prostate cancer are offered exercise programmes.

Financial pressures, fatigue, coping with a major illness, and lack of knowledge about how to begin exercising safely, are all recognised as major barriers stopping men with prostate cancer from exercising.

To tackle this, we have partnered with the ICR and The Royal Marsden to support men with prostate cancer to start exercising and build a regular habit, improving their overall health and wellbeing.

Men with locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer, on hormone therapy, will be eligible for

• Free one-year gym membership

• 26 week exercise programme with videos that can be followed either at home or in the gym, alongside information and resources to support you in your treatment journey.

Sir Chris Hoy

"This is a groundbreaking partnership and initiative which demonstrates the power of the Tour De 4, what it can achieve and the legacy it will leave.

"Scientific studies have shown that structured exercise is the perfect complement to many cancer treatments, but we need to break down the barriers that often prevent patients getting consistent and regular physical activity to experience these benefits.

"Exercise has been a fundamental part of my life and never more so than since my diagnosis of prostate cancer. I find it hugely encouraging that the importance of exercise for prostate cancer is being recognised. This is a significant step forward and potentially transformative.

"I have a long-standing association with PureGym which, more than any fitness organisation in the UK, has the scale, reach and capability to make a demonstrable national impact. I look forward to seeing the results of this initiative in the coming months and years."

Professor Nick James, Professor of Prostate and Bladder Cancer Research at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and Consultant Clinical Oncologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. He says:

"A diagnosis of advanced cancer is devastating. I frequently hear patients being advised by their families that they must take it easy and not overexert themselves whereas in most cases, this advice, while well-meaning is not usually true. In fact, the opposite is true.

"There is growing evidence that exercise, as well as improving general well-being, might also directly improve cancer outcomes. Some studies have shown that exercising is so effective that if it was a drug, we would call it a 'breakthrough'. However, while prostate cancer patients may be advised about the importance of exercise, they are rarely supported to actually begin - or simply continue - exercising safely.

"Joining a gym, particularly when you are older and recently diagnosed with a major illness, is clearly a major psychological hurdle. It's also a financial barrier for many people, so we're delighted to partner with PureGym to offer men with locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer who are on hormone therapy this free access to gym facilities. Alongside this, we will provide a structured exercise programme, which can be undertaken at home or in the gym, with the aim of supporting men to build a regular exercise habit that could improve their quality of life and overall health."