A new report by Macmillan Cancer Support has claimed that a lack of physical activity may be putting around 1.6 million cancer survivors at risk of long term health issues.

Move More has revealed new evidence that demonstrates the importance of exercise during the recovery process for cancer patients and contains four main findings. According to the new study, breast cancer patients' risk of recurrence and of dying from the disease can be reduced by up to 40 per cent through "recommended" amounts of exercise.

The risk of prostate cancer sufferers dying from the illness can be cut by 30 per cent with a "recommended" amount of physical activity - 150 minutes of moderate activity a week. Meanwhile, the risk to bowel cancer patients' risk can be cut by up to half with "significant" levels of physical activity - around six hours of moderate intensity activity a week.

The fourth finding was that all cancer sufferers can reduce the risks of side effects - such as fatigue, depression and heart disease - by doing the recommended amount of exercise. Macmillan Cancer Support chief executive Ciaran Devane said: "The evidence in our report, Move More, shows just how important physical activity is to the recovery process of cancer.

"Cancer patients would be shocked if they knew just how much of a benefit physical activity could have on their recovery and long term health." REPs registrar Jean-Ann Marnoch said; “This report confirms what we, as exercise professionals, have known for a long time; regular exercise has far-reaching long-term health benefits regardless of most other conditions someone may be facing."

SkillsActive director of technical services John Thorpe added: "We realise that working with clients with chronic medical conditions requires specific and expert qualifications, which is why we are so thorough in the production of Level 4 standards which meet these requirements." Image: Benis Arapovic/shutterstock.com