Cancer Research UK launches ‘shoppercise’ fitness trend for Race for Life Series

It’s rare that many women need a reason to go shopping but now there is the perfect excuse, with a new exercise programme that enables shoppers to get fit at the same time. ‘Shop for Life’, which combines hitting the shops with some gentle training, has been introduced by Cancer Research UK, ahead of the charity’s Race for Life series this summer.

Fitness expert feedback suggests that women often cover several kilometres during a typical walk round a shopping centre. ‘Shop for Life’ offers a simple yet effective way to incorporate light exercise into a busy lifestyle. To get ‘shoppercising’ immediately, women everywhere can print out ‘Shop for Life’ route maps which have been developed for nine of the UK’s leading shopping centres from the Race for Life website at www.raceforlife.org/ifICanDoit. All women then have to do is head to their local shopping centre and marvel at how easily they complete a 2k distance, without ever putting down their shopping bags – the perfect training for a Race for Life event!

The ‘Shop for Life’ maps provide shoppers with a training route via all of their favourite stores within their local centre, a stop at the food court for a snack, a few visits to the fitting room, and a quick trip round again to pick up those forgotten items. Southampton’s West Quay, Manchester’s Trafford Centre and Glasgow’s Buchanan Galleries are just three of the shopping centres where the initiative is currently operating.

Now in its 16th series, Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life is the UK’s largest women-only fundraising event. Women are invited to walk, jog or run 5k at over 230 Race for Life events taking place across the UK from May – July. The charity is hoping that 680,000 women will come together and help raise over £60 million to fund the charity’s life saving work into all forms of cancer.