Bowel Cancer New Zealand's Move your Butt campaign encourages all Kiwis (young or old, fit or unfit) to get off their butts in February and challenge themselves to move more - as exercising and eating well are proven to help beat bowel cancer.

Bowel Cancer New Zealand is asking you to Move Your Butt and move 100 kilometres to honour the 100 Kiwis we lose every month.

The challenge does not need to feel be extreme like running a marathon. It simply means challenging yourself to exercise more than you usually do!

You could do a little more each day and aim to build up to 30 minutes a day. You can also get creative in how you complete the challenge. You could walk, jog, run up and down stairs, do the vacuuming, walk the dog, or any other way you can think of!

You don’t have to do it alone. Rally your whānau, friends, and colleagues. Create a team, share your journey, and invite loved ones to sponsor your challenge. Every step you take and every dollar you raise funds life-saving awareness, vital support, and advocacy that helps more Kiwis catch bowel cancer early – and beat it.

Let’s do it together. Let’s walk, run, or move for those we’ve lost, those still fighting, and those yet to be diagnosed.

Sign up or find out more about the Move Your Butt challenge to help more New Zealanders beat bowel cancer.

Find easy ways to move more during your day.

Bowel cancer – also known as colorectal cancer or colon cancer – is any cancer that affects the colon (large bowel) and rectum (back passage).

Most bowel cancers start as benign innocent growths (polyps) on the wall of the bowel. Polyps are like small spots or cherries on stalks and most do not produce symptoms. Polyps are common as we get older and most polyps are not pre-cancerous.

The earlier bowel cancer is caught, the easier it is to treat. 90 percent of bowel cancer is curable if caught early.

You can lower your risk of bowel cancer by eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly. It is recommended that you should aim to engage in 30 minutes or more of physical activity everyday - in any way - to help reduce the risk of cancer.

Find out more about bowel cancer, including signs and symptoms.