Pop star, personal trainer and mother-to-be Michelle Heaton has provided a set of top tip on staying fit during pregnancy.

The Liberty X star has kicked off her Zumbathon tour to help raise awareness and funds for Breast Cancer prevention.

Up to 50,000 people in the UK are hit by the diagnosis of breast cancer every year. It is the world’s most common type of cancer in women and eight in 10 women aged over 50 are said to be at risk.

Heaton made a brave decision at the end of last year to have a double mastectomy, after being informed that she had an 80 per cent chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer.

The Zumba ‘Party in Pink’ initiative is supporting the Global Research Grant for Breast Cancer Prevention, run in partnership with Susan G Komen – a foundation dedicated to education and research of causes and treatments for breast cancer. This year, funds raised by the event will go toward research into lignans found in flaxseed.

Flaxseed oil has been said to have anti-cancer properties since the 1950s and according to a number of studies, these lignans could play a role in cancer treatment and prevention – but more research needs to be done.

Since 2010 the Party in Pink initiative has raised more than £1.5 million worldwide for the fight against breast cancer and aims to raise a further £1.5 million during the next three years.

Fourteen million people worldwide take part in Zumba every week in over 140,000 different locations. In the UK alone there are 1.2 million participants per week across 13,000 locations, providing an ideal platform to reach and engage a wide audience.

Commenting on her role as Zumba Party in Pink ambassador, Heaton said: “Each year thousands of women are affected by breast cancer in some way and this campaign has created a really fun and positive way to raise awareness and funds to help prevent the disease.

“Going to Zumba is an amazing way to lift your mood, the music is so infectious you forget you’re even exercising!”

• Saffron Walden Town Hall will be turned pink on October 28 when six instructors host a two-hour Zumbathon party.

The event starts at 7pm. It includes a special guest appearance from Zumba education specialist Natalia Bull.

For information call 07842 213554. Tickets are available on the door.