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Prevent cancer? Get moving

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Get your daily dose of activity

Getting your daily dose of activity is one of the most important ways you can help prevent cancer.

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Activity, along with a diet and weight, are factors that can account for at least 30 percent of all cancers – including bowel cancer, breast cancer, possibly prostate, uterine and lung cancer, according to the Cancer Council.

The Cancer Council recommends putting together at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most – preferably all – days of the week. It doesn’t have to be continuous – 3 x 10 minutes sessions are also good. Each activity session should last at least ten minutes.

So staying active is one of the best things you can do to help prevent cancer, and better your health.

Here are five, easy tips for staying active, everyday:

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  1. Join up! The best way to stay active involves a little peer pressure, so grab your besties and get moving. Join the local tennis club, head out for a bike ride, or sign up for a charity walk or run. Combining girl talk with active time ticks all the boxes.

  2. Set goals. Having a goal increases your motivation, determination, and commitment to staying active. Whether it’s walking a 5k local fun run, or completing the Hawaiian Iron Man race, having the date marked in your calendar will help keep you focused on your training.

  3. Take the stairs. Activity isn’t just about showing up at the gym, it’s about making it a part of your daily life, and working it into your routine. Getting off public transport early and walking, or riding your bike to work, walking during lunchtimes, and the taking the stairs are all little things that can make a big difference to your health.

  4. Get down and dirty. Housework and gardening are some of the best ways to stay active at home, according to the Cancer Council. They also recommend turning off the television and closing the laptop, and making activity a priority, rather than an afterthought.

  5. It’s all in the family. Every mum wants her family to be healthy and active, and the best way to do this making activity a part of the daily routine. Going for after-dinner walks, weekend bike-rides, or heading to the beach for a morning swim and surf are just some of the ways you can instil the importance of daily activity into your kids’ lives.

Support the Cancer Council for Daffodil Day: Sorbent will make a donation on behalf of all the top 3 arcade challengers! Click here to take the Sorbent Arcade Challenge.

Your Say: What things to you do to stay active, everyday? Tell us below…

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