Budget health club operator Xercise4Less is hoping to highlight the “crisis in men’s health” by partnering with charity The Movember Foundation this month.

Members are being encouraged to “Move for Movember” and take part in dedicated “Move Challenge” classes – with the chance to bring along a non-member friend to an Xercise4Less session if a donation is made.

It is hoped that existing members getting their friends active will also attract new members to sign up – and Xercise4Less is donating £1 for each new member that joins any of their 43 gyms throughout the month of November.

“The Move Challenge is whatever our members make it,” a spokesperson for Xercise4Less said. “Run a race, learn to rock climb, work out in costume – the idea is to try something new, beat your own personal best and ultimately raise funds for men's health.”

The Movember Foundation is a global charity focused solely on men’s health. The Foundation raises funds to deliver breakthrough research and support programmes that enable men to live happier, healthier and longer lives.

Figures show that, on average, men die four years younger than women in the UK, for reasons that are largely preventable.

Around 11,000 men with prostate cancer die in the UK each year, while 78 per cent of suicides are men.

Laura Mair, director of partnerships at The Movember Foundation, said: "We’re excited about working with Xercise4Less and getting people moving for men’s health around the country.

“Our goal is to stop men dying too young, and in order to achieve this we need more men aware of the risks that they face and to take action when there’s an issue.

“Xercise4Less has created a really fun way to share this important message involving both Mo Bros & Mo Sistas in their campaign, and we encourage all their members to sign up on Movember.com and get involved at their local Xercise4Less club.”

It is the second time this year that Xercise4Less is taking part in a targeted, high-profile charity drive to get people more healthy.

In April, the group launched a wellness campaign providing bargain gym memberships to help NHS staff in Scotland stay fighting fit.

The chain offered all NHS Scotland staff a £1 per month gym membership for a whole year, with no joining fee.