How Football is Helping Men Live Well After Cancer
At CanRehab, one of the things that we believe makes us excel is that our courses are based on evidence. It is this evidence that inspires our belief that exercise is a powerful tool in helping those with cancer. Recently, we launched a new series on our social media called ‘Research Insight‘, created to highlight the body of evidence showing just how effective exercise-based interventions can be — not only for physical health, but for confidence, community and quality of life.
Our Research Insight series shares short, accessible videos exploring the academic evidence behind why our approach to cancer rehabilitation works — and how it can support the people you work with.
In this first series, we focused on how football is being used as a training tool for men living with prostate cancer. The evidence comes from a set of Danish studies that have reshaped how we think about cancer rehabilitation.
1. Can Football Help Men with Prostate Cancer?
Our first post introduced the idea that football — a team-based, social sport — could be more than just fun. For men recovering from prostate cancer, it offers a way to re-engage with their bodies, regain confidence, and take control of their health in a supportive group setting.
2. What Does the Research Say?
We then broke down the first two papers from the FC Prostate trial – a study showing that football-based training was safe and effective even for men with advanced cancer. In our video, Professor Campbell MBE outlined that outcomes included improved cardiovascular health, muscle mass, and emotional wellbeing.
| Paper 1: Feasibility Trial | Paper 2: Randomised Control Trial in Local Clubs |
| 12 weeks of football for men on Andorgen Deprivation Therapy = | 214 men took part in a 6-month trial |
| Increased strength | Mental health significantly improved |
| Higher lean body mass | High adherence |
| Better fitness — and no serious adverse events | Shown to be safe, acceptable, and effective in the real world |
3. Follow-up
Our third post explored the impact of the initial trials one year on, and also looked at the fourth paper on a subgroup with bone metastases.
| Paper 3: One-Year Follow-Up | Paper 4: Bone Metastases Subgroup |
| 59% kept playing without funding | Safe – no fractures, low fall rates |
| Less fat mass | Quality of life up |
| Fewer hospitalisations | Fewer hospital admissions |
Follow-up research like this is vital — it shows whether benefits are sustained, whether programmes work in the real world, and whether they’re safe for groups often excluded from exercise studies.
3. What Happens When We Talk to the Players?
Our final post looked at the qualitative evaluation paper. When researchers engaged with the players, they described the experience as meaningful, motivating and empowering. That sense of familiarity and joy became a powerful driver for sustained engagement in their health. If you don’t have us social media, you can watch the video here.
In summary, why was this intervention was so successful? The researchers identified four key features:
- Structure: Clear sessions with warm-ups and cooldowns
- Identity: A sense of belonging and pride
- Community: Trust between peers
- Joy: The fun and playfulness of sport
These elements made the programme feel less like treatment and more like life.
Missed the Series?
You can catch up by watching the short videos on our Instagram or Facebook pages. Each post pairs a summary of the research with commentary from our Director, helping bring the evidence to life.
Interested in working confidently with people after a cancer diagnosis?
If you have been inspired by the FC Prostate studies, our upcoming Cancer Confidence course could be just what you’re looking for.
Developed and piloted by Professor Anna Campbell MBE, this new online training course is designed to equip individuals with a solid understanding of the benefits of exercise after cancer, and the communication skills needed to convey those benefits clearly and safely. Whether you’re based in a clinical environment, a gym, or a community setting, this course ensures you’ll be confident in supporting individuals after a cancer diagnosis.
Importantly, it also teaches you how to work safely within your scope of practice — helping you recognise when a client’s needs require input from a CanRehab-qualified Specialist Instructor or another healthcare professional.
👉 Follow us on social media and check our website for launch updates.
Looking to become a CanRehab Specialist Instructor?
Our flagship course is open for enrolment and delivered as live, synchronous online teaching — with 6 full teaching days (9.30am–3.30pm) led by expert tutors in the field.
You can find full details and application information on our website.
If you’d like more information, you can reach out to us on Social Media or get in touch the information below.