Active Together

Research shows that regular exercise and a healthy diet before, during, and after cancer treatment, can help patients in many ways including:

• Being able to tolerate cancer treatment better - Research shows that exercise before and during cancer treatment can help lessen the side effects and help you feel less tired.  For some people it can help to reduce the time spent in hospital and reduce complications from surgery.

• Helps you recover from cancer - Research has shown that regular activity before, during and after cancer treatment can lead to improved recovery and increased survival. Increased fitness, endurance and muscle strength may also allow people with cancer to access treatments not previously available to them, giving them the best chance to recover from cancer.

• Lowers the risk of cancer coming back - Research also shows that continuing to exercise after cancer treatment can help lower the risk of cancer returning. Active Together supports you to improve your fitness and show you ways to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.

• Boosts your mental wellbeing - Going through cancer treatment can be tough, both physically and mentally. Exercise during cancer treatment, along with psychological and nutritional support, can help boost mental wellbeing. Group classes also provide the opportunity to meet others with similar cancer experiences.

• We will call you 2-5 days after we receive your referral to arrange an appointment at a time that suits you.
   
• You will attend an initial assessment and we will ask you some simple questions about your condition and any other health conditions you may have.  You may be asked to undertake a walking test or other basic assessments to assess your current level of fitness. You will also have the opportunity to ask any questions you might have about the service
   
• Together we will discuss your needs and treatment to create a personalised plan to support you throughout your treatment. This could include support with physical activity, nutrition and wellbeing. We have one-to-one appointments, workshops, group exercise classes and online resources available.

• During your cancer treatment the Active Together team will stay in contact with you to offer reassurance or advice if you have any concerns. Throughout this time, you can also work with the team to adjust your plan based on how you are finding your treatment.

• Following your treatment, we will invite you to a follow up appointment with the Active Together Team so they can understand how to best support your physical and mental health moving forward.

We operate out of several venues across Sheffield:

• Sheffield Hallam University Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre
• Graves Health and Sports Centre
• Wisewood Sports Centre
• Concord Sports Centre

You can be referred to Active Together by a healthcare professional.  Not all cancer patients or types of cancer are eligible at this time, we are looking to expand in the future.

We currently receive referrals for patients with:

• Lung cancer
• Upper gastrointestinal (GI) cancer 
• Colorectal cancer
• Urological cancer
• Gynaecological cancer
• Head and neck cancer
• Breast cancer (for those having mastectomy with reconstruction)
• Myeloma (for those having stem cell transplant)
• Hepatobiliary – pancreatic and liver

The referral criteria are that planned treatment has curative intent, can be surgical or non-surgical and will be happening at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.

Please contact the team for further detail.

0114 22 55901

sth.activetogetherservice@nhs.net

Active Together - Yorkshire Cancer Research