Free cancer exercise programmes in London: what's on

There are three main free routes: NHS services arranged through your hospital team, charity centres and community groups you can join yourself, and free online programmes.

We list only programmes whose own websites describe them as free. Other London classes exist, such as leisure-centre cancer rehabilitation classes in Hounslow, Kingston, Wandsworth and Sutton [8]; we left them out because the pages we checked did not mention cost. Our guide to cancer exercise programmes explains what happens on a programme, and cancer support centres in London covers what else those centres offer.

Details checked 28 Oct 2026 for every row.

Yes. Prehabilitation, rehabilitation and physiotherapy arranged by your NHS hospital team cost you nothing, because "NHS services are free of charge, except in limited circumstances sanctioned by Parliament" [13].

Ask your clinical nurse specialist (CNS) what your hospital trust offers for your cancer type and stage of treatment. Macmillan explains that "Some GPs, cancer treatment centres and support groups have exercise referral schemes", which can refer you to a cancer exercise specialist or a clinical exercise physiologist [14].

If you live in south east London or were treated at Guy's and St Thomas', you can contact the hospital's cancer physiotherapy team directly; the South East London Cancer Alliance's "Keeping active during treatment" page gives the details [19]. Our page on cancer rehabilitation in London sets out the hospital routes by area, and our prehabilitation guide explains what prehab involves.

The four London Maggie's centres run free exercise classes and prehab sessions. Each centre page says: "Our exercise classes include yoga, Tai Chi and walking groups" [1][2][3][4]. Before treatment, Maggie's prehab sessions "help you become more physically active and emotionally resilient before treatment" [1].

To join a class, use the "Register your interest" form on the centre's page; staff then call or email to talk through whether it suits you [1][3]. For general support, "You don't need an appointment – just come in" [1].

Mulberry Cancer Support (formerly The Mulberry Centre) runs free yoga, Tai Chi and guided meditation classes at West Middlesex University Hospital in Isleworth, and offers "all of our support free of charge" [5][6]. The classes are "for its registered clients", and are offered "for patients and carers" [6], so you register with the charity first.

Classes run at the centre and are also "delivered remotely for times when you are not able to get to the Centre" [6]. Its page adds: "Before attending the sessions you will be assessed for suitability by the class teacher", and "Onsite spaces are limited so advance booking is strongly advised" [6].

Yes. 5K Your Way groups meet at parkruns "on the last Saturday of every month", and the charity says "5k Your Way and parkrun are completely free!" [7]. You can walk, jog, run, cheer or volunteer.

"Anyone impacted by cancer is welcome to join a 5k Your Way group", and friends and family are welcome too [7]. The West London Cancer Alliance lists London groups in Croydon, Kingston, Merton and Sutton, plus two in Hammersmith and Harrow [8]. To take part, you register online with 5K Your Way and with parkrun, then "turn up on the day" [7].

Yes. Three programmes offer free online sessions, each with its own entry rules; two are for specific age groups.

OncoMove. OncoMove describes itself as "a Community Interest Company that puts purpose over profit" and offers "Free 12-session, personalised, science-led exercise programmes" [11]. Its care is "100% online", with one-to-one and group sessions, for people "preparing for treatment, undergoing it, or receiving palliative care" [11]. After a self-referral or a referral from a health professional, you "Wait for a call from your Clinical Exercise Physiologist" [11]. Its homepage sets out no age or area rules, so check eligibility with OncoMove.

MOVE Against Cancer online programme. For "Anyone aged from 13-30 living with or beyond cancer", running "for usually 8 weeks but can vary" [9]. "All our Instructors are Level 4 Cancer Rehab Specialists" [9]. You can "Refer yourself, or get referred by a Health care Professional" [9].

Trekstock exercise programme. "Our programme is for people in their 20s, 30s and 40s living with or beyond a cancer diagnosis", and "Our exercise programme is entirely online" [10]. The same page also describes the classes as "online or in person" [10], so check the format with Trekstock when you sign up. Sessions are led by instructors "who are all trained in cancer-specific rehabilitation" [10]. "The next group starts on 11th January 2027", and "There's no waiting list" [10].

For prostate cancer, yes. PureGym, with The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden, offers men with "locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer who are receiving hormone therapy" a free one-year membership and a 26-week programme for home or the gym [12]. You register through The Institute of Cancer Research [12]. If you have concerns, particularly about bone disease, the West London Cancer Alliance suggests speaking to your doctor first [8]. See our prostate cancer exercise guide. For other cancers, ask your CNS what your hospital runs.

Check the provider's own page, then contact the provider before you go, because timetables and start dates change.

1. Open the provider's own page, not a directory listing, and look for a start date or timetable [10].
2. Check who it is for: age, cancer type, treatment stage and area.
3. Ask how to join: self-referral, a form from your team, or registering interest [1][9][11].
4. Search by postcode for anything we have not listed. Macmillan's local search includes exercise classes, but "Coverage varies by area" [16]. Cancer Care Map also searches "By postcode, town or city" [17], and Cancer Wellbeing London lists wellbeing events across London [18].

Ask your oncology team first. If your cancer or treatment makes exercise more complicated, they may refer you to an NHS service instead.

Your treatment, side effects or other conditions may need an individual plan rather than a group class. Macmillan describes a clinical exercise physiologist (CEP) as "a healthcare professional who is an expert in screening, assessing and advising" on the activity that suits you [14].

Request a match with a verified clinical exercise physiologist through The Health Nav.

Stop straight away if you get sudden symptoms. Macmillan lists "feeling dizzy, chest pain, a racing heart, breathing problems, feeling sick, unusual back or bone pain, unusual muscle pain, a headache that does not go away", and says to speak to a doctor straight away [15].

If you are having chemotherapy, the NHS says to call your care team now if you have [20]:

• a high temperature, or feel hot, cold, sweaty or shivery
• other signs of an infection, such as a sore throat, cough or diarrhoea
• throbbing or cramping pain, swelling and warmth in a leg or arm
• sudden breathlessness or sharp chest pain

"Call NHS 111 if you're not sure how to contact your care team" [20]. In an emergency, call 999.