After a cancer diagnosis, it’s common to feel that much of your life is suddenly out of your control. Treatments, appointments, side effects, fatigue—everything can feel overwhelming. But new research offers a powerful and hopeful message for cancer survivors: what you do after diagnosis still matters—and physical activity can play a meaningful role in your long-term survival.
A large study published in JAMA Network Open followed more than 17,000 cancer survivors over nearly 11 years and found that people who were physically active after their cancer diagnosis had a lower risk of dying from cancer than those who remained inactive. Importantly, this benefit was seen even in survivors of cancers that have not traditionally been studied in exercise research, including bladder, lung, ovarian, endometrial, oral, kidney, and rectal cancers.
You Don’t Have to Be an “Exercise Person”
One of the most reassuring findings from this study is that you don’t need to run marathons or go to the gym every day to see benefits. In fact, survivors who did any amount of moderate physical activity—such as walking, cycling, or swimming—even below current exercise guidelines, lived longer than those who did none.
For survivors of bladder, lung, and endometrial cancers, just a small amount of activity was associated with 30–45% lower cancer-related mortality compared with being completely inactive. That means movement matters—even when energy is limited.
It’s Never Too Late to Start
Another key message is especially empowering: being inactive before your cancer diagnosis does not mean you’ve missed your chance.
Survivors who were not physically active before diagnosis—but became active afterward—still experienced meaningful survival benefits. This was especially clear for lung and rectal cancer survivors. In other words, starting now can still make a difference, regardless of your past.
This reinforces a core CancerFitness.org belief: exercise is about restoring agency. Movement becomes something you can choose—at your pace, in your body, on your terms.
More Activity = More Benefit (When It’s Safe)
The study also showed that survivors who met or exceeded recommended activity levels (about 150 minutes of moderate activity per week) often experienced even greater benefits. Among lung cancer survivors, higher activity levels were linked to the largest reductions in cancer mortality. For oral and rectal cancer survivors, higher levels of activity were also associated with improved survival.
That said, more is not always better for everyone. The goal is safe, sustainable movement, ideally guided by your healthcare team.
Why Does Exercise Help After Cancer?
While this study didn’t test why exercise improves survival, decades of research suggest several powerful mechanisms:
- Improved immune function
- Reduced inflammation
- Better muscle strength and metabolism
- Improved tolerance to treatments
- Reduced fatigue, anxiety, and depression
- Better overall physical resilience
Together, these changes can help your body recover, adapt, and stay stronger over time.
What This Means for You
If you are a cancer survivor, this research supports a simple, hopeful message:
- Some movement is better than none
- Starting after diagnosis still counts
- You don’t need to be perfect to benefit
- Your body is still capable of positive change
Walking, gentle strength training, yoga, cycling, water exercise—these all count. The “best” exercise is the one you can do consistently and safely.
A CancerFitness.org Call to Action
At CancerFitness.org, we believe movement is medicine—but it must be personalized, compassionate, and realistic. If you are living with or beyond cancer:
- Talk with your oncology or primary care team about safe physical activity
- Start small and progress gradually
- Listen to your body, especially during recovery
- Seek out cancer-informed exercise programs when possible
Your diagnosis does not define your future—but your daily choices can help shape it.
Movement is not about punishment. It’s about possibility.
Reference: Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Cancer Mortality Among Cancer Survivors: Erika Rees-Punia, PhD; Lauren R. Teras, PhD; Christina C. Newton, MSPH; Steven C. Moore, PhD; I-Min Lee, ScD; et al. JAMA Network Open. 2026;9(2):e2556971. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.56971 February 17, 2026
