A note on terms:
Breast cancer can affect anybody, and everybody is welcome in CoppaFeel!’s community. We’re actively inclusive in our language and we ask people how they want to be described.
The word ‘chest’ is inclusive of all bodies and genders. When we need to be clinically accurate we use the word ‘breast’. You might prefer to call your chest something else, and that’s ok!
Healthy lifestyle choices
Here is our advice for keeping healthy and reducing your risk of breast cancer:
Keep active and enjoy yourself!
Try to move your body and be physically active every day. Do 30 minutes of movement every day that gets your heart beating faster, leaves you a bit breathless and warms you up.
This could be riding a bike, jogging or dancing.(If you are disabled there is NHS advice on fitness for wheelchair users. If you are pregnant the NHS has advice for exercise during pregnancy)
Cut back on alcohol
Check out our information on alcohol below and the advice from Drinkaware on cutting back.
Eat a balanced diet
Check out the NHS’ EatWell guide and eat 5 servings of fruit and veg a day. Do not deprive yourself and do not eat too much of the same foods. Enjoy trying new food and mix it up!
Drink plenty of water
Aim for 6-8 glasses a day.
Don't smoke
Smoking tobacco is the main cause of preventable death around the world. The good news is that it is never too late to quit. Stopping smoking is one of the best ways you can improve your health and hugely reduce your risk of cancer. You can do it. The NHS has the advice on how to quit smoking.
Get to know your chest
Check your chest every month.
Body fat
If you are worried about your body fat, talk to your GP.
Cancer Research UK has more detailed information about how lifestyle factors affect your risk of breast cancer.
Contraception & breast cancer
Myths about breast cancer
BRCA
We updated this information in April 2024. We will look at it again in April 2027.