192: Yes To Life Show with Robin Daly MBE - Episode 192192: Yes To Life Show with Robin Daly MBE - Episode 192
UK Health Radio Podcast
Robin Daly talks with oncology exercise specialist Kelly Dodds about prehabilitation, using gentle exercise and emotional support to help people with cancer feel more in control and recover better. They also discuss Kelly’s Ori app, designed to extend this rehab support to those who might not otherwise have access.
43:58•8 Oct 2026
From Diagnosis to Strength: Cancer Prehab with Kelly Dodds
Episode Overview
- Prehabilitation uses gentle, structured exercise and emotional support from the moment of diagnosis to help people feel more in control and better prepared for treatment.
- Starting with very small movements can still make a significant difference to strength, side effects and recovery, even for people who feel extremely unwell.
- There is limited access to cancer rehab specialists in the UK, leaving many people without guidance on safe and effective exercise during and after treatment.
- The Ori app offers guided, stage-specific rehab support for several cancer types, aiming to provide expertise and reassurance to those who cannot see a specialist in person.
- Collecting data through the app and potential wearables may help clinicians, health services and employers understand how exercise-based support benefits patients and outcomes.
“Prehabilitation is all about taking back some control.”
What drives someone to seek a life without feeling completely powerless after a cancer diagnosis? This conversation on the Yes To Life Show zooms in on that question through the lens of prehabilitation and exercise-led support. Host Robin Daly chats with oncology exercise specialist Kelly Dodds, who explains prehabilitation in clear, practical terms.
As she puts it, "Prehabilitation is all about taking back some control" at the moment someone hears the words, "you sadly have cancer." Rather than waiting passively for surgery or treatment, Kelly argues that gentle, structured movement and emotional support can help people feel stronger, reduce side effects and recover faster. You’ll hear Kelly describe how exercise can start from something as simple as bed-based movements or walking to the shops, rather than punishing gym sessions.
Her story of working with Sandra – a woman given eight weeks to live who couldn’t sit up in her hospital bed – is a powerful example. Step by step, from bed exercises to standing with a frame, Sandra regained enough strength for more treatment and is still alive years later. The episode also looks at the practical gaps in current cancer care.
Kelly explains that only around 200 cancer rehab specialists are working in the UK and an estimated two-thirds of people don’t get access to this kind of support. To reach more people, she’s created the Ori app, a "digital twin" of her rehab approach that offers guided exercise, emotional check-ins and long-term support for different cancer types, including breast, bowel, prostate and lung.
Robin and Kelly talk candidly about how prehab could save money for health services, support employers, and most importantly, give people back a sense of agency during and after treatment. If you or someone you care about is facing cancer and feeling stuck, could taking small, guided steps toward movement and strength be part of the way forward?
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