The public are being reminded today that just 30 minutes of exercise per day can greatly reduce your risk of getting cancer.

The disease is the cause of one in four deaths in Ireland.

The Irish Cancer society says treatments are constantly evolving and there is an increasing number of people surviving the disease.

Dr Jane Walsh of NUI Galway said that regular physical activity can have a huge impact in helping to save lives.

“It’s very important that people realise that any type of activity that has one what we call ‘presently breathless’ will classify as moderate activity,” she said.

“So you may or may not be lightly sweating, your heart rate’s a little bit higher – you can get this from walking at a moderately brisk pace, you can get this from gardening, walking up and down the stairs.

“So there’s lots of ways to incorporate exercise into your daily routine.”