Download Relay For Life Tool Kit

Fight Back: Nutrition and Physical Activity
For even more information on Fighting Back, please visit
www.relayforlife.org/relay/crfbnutrition
Fight Back Activity 1: Great American Health Check
1. Explain how Physical Activity and Nutrition can reduce your risk of cancer.
 More
than 50% of cancer deaths could be prevented through healthy lifestyle
choices like not smoking or using other tobacco products, maintaining a healthy
body weight, getting regular physical activity, eating a healthy diet, limiting
alcohol consumption and getting cancer screening tests.
2. State the following:
 The American Cancer Society promotes the Great American Health Challenge
to educate Americans about how to reduce cancer risk. The Great American
Health Challenge, a year-long program, encourages Americans to make a
commitment to take actions to reduce their cancer risk or detect cancer when it
is most treatable.
 January is the Great American Health Check- find out which screening tests
are appropriate based on age and family history and discuss these with your
doctor. Encourage your loved ones to get the screenings right for them.
Screening can prevent cancer or detect it at its earliest, most treatable stage.
3. Pledge to Fight Back(share these ideas/ways to Fight Back):
 I will find what cancer screening tests I need
 I CAN pledge to take the Great American Health Challenge and get 5-10
friends to join me
 I CAN get active
 I CAN quit smoking and using other tobacco products or encourage someone
I love to do so.
 I CAN join ACS CAN to help make cancer a top national priority.
4. Call to Action:
 Visit www.RelayForLife.org/relay/crfbgahc or www.cancer.org for more
information on the Great American Health Challenge
5. Suggested materials to hand out: see staff partner for more detail:
 Great
American Health Check Insert: this card is designed to be used as a
follow-up to Relay participants thanking them for their participation and
Relay efforts, while also informing them about the Great American
challenges, and asking them to tear apart and share the information with a
friend.
Fight Back Activity 2: Nutrition
1. State the following:
 One-third of all cancer deaths in the U.S. could be prevented by following a
healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight.
 Being overweight or obese is clearly linked with an increased risk of developing
several types of cancer:
1. breast
2. colon
3. uterine
4. esophagus
5. kidney
 Obesity also likely raises the risk of other cancers:
6. cervix
7. gallbladder
8. Hodgkin lymphoma
9. multiple myeloma
10. ovary
11. pancreas
12. thyroid
13. aggressive forms of prostate cancer
 Some studies have shown a link between losing weight and lowering the risk of
getting certain cancers such as breast cancer. While research in this area is still
ongoing, people who are overweight or obese are encouraged to lose weight.
2. Pledge to Fight Back(share these ideas/ways to Fight Back):
 I CAN pledge to eat right!
 Eat a healthy diet, with an emphasis on plant sources.
 Choose foods and beverages in amounts that help achieve and maintain a
healthy weight.
 Eat 5 or more servings of a variety of vegetables and fruits each day.
 Choose whole grains in preference to processed (refined) grains.
 Limit consumption of processed and red meats.
Suggested Activity- set up a display of fruits and healthy foods and have fruit available
for the team captains.
 Fight Back Activity 3: Physical Activity
1. Explain how some studies have shown a link between losing weight and lowering
the risk of getting certain cancers such as breast cancer. While research in this
area is still ongoing, people who are overweight or obese are encouraged to lose
weight.
 Physical activity may reduce the risk of several types of cancer:
 breast
 colon
 uterine
 prostate
 The benefits of a physically active lifestyle go far beyond lowering cancer risk.
They include reducing the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure,
diabetes, and osteoporosis (bone thinning).

You can have more energy, feel better, and lower your stress level . . . all while
reducing your risk of disease
2. State the following:

You benefit from even small amounts of moderate activity throughout the day.
Regular physical activity is easier to fit in than you may realize and can significantly
lower your lifetime risk for cancer
Adopt a physically active lifestyle:
 Get at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week to lower the risk of
chronic disease
 Get around 60 minutes of exercise most days if trying to prevent weight gain
 Get 60-90 minutes of exercise every day if trying to maintain weight loss

3. Pledge to Fight Back (share these ideas/ways to Fight Back):
I
I
I
CAN take the Great American Get Active Challenge in May!
CAN get active and encourage others to do the same!
CAN encourage healthy living!
4. Suggested materials to hand out
on the Great American Get Active Challenge – go to cancer.org for
more information.
 Information
Fight Back At Relay For Life:
Possible tools and activities: (Please work with your staff partner to determine materials and activities)
 Get fruit and other healthy snacks (like nuts and granola) donated that you can
share with participants along with information about the importance of eating
healthy
 Work with Entertainment and Children’s Activities Chairs to offer ‘Physically
Active’ activities, such as:
 Jump Rope competition
 Hula-Hoop competition
 Three-legged races
 Potato sack races
 Dancing lessons (ask a local dance school to come and give lessons)
 Get a giant game of Twister going by connecting 4 Twister games
together and holding a tournament
 Physical Activity and Nutrition Scavenger Hunt- create a Scavenger Hunt
where participants are searching for information about and items related
to Physical Activity and Nutrition on track signs and hidden around Relay.
 Have equipment available so participants can play and be active:
 Frisbees
 Whiffle ball and bat
 Volleyball net and ball
 Nerf footballs
 Offer theme laps that get people thinking about Physical Activities and nutrition:
 Dress up for your Favorite Sport/Activity
 Five a Day! Dress up as your favorite fruit or vegetable
 Put a challenge out to count laps- have participants register in advance, give
them numbers and have someone count their laps. The participants with the
most laps in a certain amount of time win!
 Use messaging during the day of event related to Physical Activity and Nutrition
 Don’t forget- August is the Great American Eat Right Challenge! Have
participants pledge to take the Challenge in August and gain a healthier
perspective that will last year-round!
** Please note that not all of the brochures mentioned within this document are available
in every region of PA