Posted: 21 Apr 2025 By:  Reading time: minutes remaining

Exercise For Cancer Patients – 20 Activities to Do Now

Women that walk more than one hour a week after their treatment are less likely to die of breast cancer.

Regular exercise is necessary for physical fitness and good health. A scientific study showed a 61% decrease in cancer in rats having access to a running wheel.

Learn 20 fabulous workouts for cancer patients with lower energy. These exercises oxygenate your body but don’t deplete you. So now you can exercise for cancer and raise the odds of surviving cancer.

More...

Legal Notice

The information is presented for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe treat or cure cancer.This information is not intended as medical advice, please refer to a qualified healthcare professional.

Why Exercise Is Good Against Cancer

Humans should be outdoors and move. Exercise improves your stamina and makes your body more efficient.

Regular exercise causes your heart- and breathing rates return to resting levels faster. It is also a key to weight control because it burns calories. When you exercise, you don’t feel as hungry and don’t crave food as much.

Working out reduces stress, lifts moods and helps you sleep better. You both look and feel younger. Physical activity improves your body’s oxygen rate and blood flow. Both of these changes have a direct effect on your brain.

Woman exercising

Exercise can reduce your cancer risk

Exercise increases your brain’s production of endorphins. Endorphins create the feeling of well-being and euphoria, which many people experience after exercise.

Physical activity can also help take your mind off your worries. You focus on your body, rather than your mind.

If you undergo chemotherapy, it can help you combat the fatigue from the treatment. Since cancer cells are oxygen deprived, exercising can deliver extra oxygen to the cells.

Physical activity also improves the immune system. Let us further examine how research have shown the benefits of exercise against cancer.

Scientific Studies Reveal That Exercise For Cancer Lowers Mortality

Strong scientific evidence shows that physical activity delays death from all causes. This includes the leading causes of death, such as heart disease and cancer.

Research demonstrates the importance of avoiding inactivity. Even low amounts of moderate physical activity reduce the risk of all-cause mortality. These effects apply to both men and women, regardless of weight status.

Women exercising

Strong scientific evidence shows that physical activity delays death from all causes

Leisure time physical activity is protective against cancer according to most research. Adults who take part in higher amounts of physical activity have less risk of getting:

  • Bladder cancer
  • Colon cancer
  • Esophagus
    cancer
  • Lung cancer
  • Breast cancer
  • Endometrium cancer
  • Kidney cancer
  • Stomach cancer

If you exercise, you can lessen your risk of dying from cancer.

You Can Lower Your Risk Of Dying From Breast Cancer By Exercising More Than One Hour Per Week

One study that followed 2987 women with breast cancer. Women that walked more than one hour a week after their treatment were less likely to die of breast cancer.

The greatest benefit occurred in women who walked 3 to 5 hours per week at an average pace. Women with hormone-responsive tumors also showed great results.

Woman exercising with a medicine ball

Breast cancer patients that exercise reduce their cancer risk

An analysis of 71 existing studies, showed reduced cancer death when people exercised. Cancer patients that walked at least 2.5 hours per week were 13% less likely to die from cancer than those with the lowest activity level.

Researchers looked at data in terms of MET-hours. A MET-hour measures the time and energy expended in given activities. Resting represents 1 MET, while a 4-MET activity like brisk walking uses four times as much energy.

Doing a 4-MET activity for 30 minutes equals 2 MET-hours.
15 MET hours per week of physical activity makes you 27% less likely to die from cancer. That’s about 35 minutes per day of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend:

A regular, preferably daily regimen of at least 30-45 minutes of brisk walking, bicycling, or even working around the house or yard will reduce your risks of developing coronary heart disease, hypertension, colon cancer, and diabetes.

CDC

Mice with tumors also showed great benefit from exercising.

Exercise Reduced Cancer In Mice With 61%

Dr. Hojman made several experiments on mice and found exercise beneficial to combat cancer. In one of her studies, she injected mice with melanoma cells.

The mice that had access to a running wheel had a 61% smaller tumor after six weeks. Compared to the mice that didn't exercise. A similar 58% reduction in tumor size happened in mice with lung cancer.

mouse

Mice that had access to a running wheel had a 61% smaller tumor after six weeks

Several studies in the USA have found positive effects of exercise in colon cancer. Physical activity reduces the risk of developing colon cancer by 30-40%.

Another study followed more than 118 000 postmenopausal women. Seven hours of moderate to vigorous activity per week reduced the breast cancer risk with 16% compared with inactivity.

Exercise also improves the lymphatic system. We need a functional lymphatic system to remove toxins and fight cancer.

Unlike the heart, the lymphatic system doesn't have a pump. The only way to move lymph throughout the body is by exercising.

By now, you should know that exercise should be part of your cancer regimen. But how much should you exercise?

How Much Should You Exercise?

The Clinical Oncology Of Australia says that exercise should be part of our standard cancer care. Exercise is a safe and effective way to offset many of the adverse effects of cancer and its treatments. 

Being physically active also provides a protective effect against cancer recurrence and mortality.

The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion recommend 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week.

Old man lifting small weights

Being physically active also provides a protective effect against cancer recurrence and mortality

Their guidelines for adults focus on two levels of intensity. One is moderate, and the other one is vigorous. Two minutes of moderate exercise equals one minute of vigorous activity.

Adults gain more health benefits with even more physical activity. Muscle-strengthening exercises also help. They are an essential part of an adult’s overall physical activity plan.

The majority of people with cancer do not meet exercise recommendations. Therefore you should exercise more. Find out more below

Summary

Exercise reduces stress, lifts moods and helps you sleep better.

Physical activity improves your body’s oxygen rate and blood flow.

Strong scientific evidence shows that physical activity delays death from all causes, including cancer. 

Women that walked more than one hour a week after their treatment were less likely to die of breast cancer.

An analysis of 71 existing studies, showed reduced cancer death when people exercised.

Mice that had access to a running wheel had a 61% smaller tumor after six weeks.

You should do 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week.

20 Easy Exercises For Cancer Patients

1. Download the Free 20 Different Exercises for Cancer Patients here

2. Pick one or several activities from the free report

3. Plan a day when you can exercise and start doing it

Action Steps

The next step you need to take is to start exercising during the day or week.Your exercise regimen should not be strenuous or deplete you of energy.

Physical fitness is the ability to carry out daily tasks with vigor without any fatigue. You should still have energy left to enjoy leisure-time pursuits.

Don't pressure yourself to follow the recommended guideline if you're not able to. Do as much physical activity that you can manage. Then increase the intensity in incremental steps.

Exercise to 50% of your capacity. For example, if 30 minutes of walking is your limit then only walk for 15 minutes. Then slowly increase your activity level.

An increase in oxygenation may only need 30-60 minutes of exercise or more per week. Exercise is only one part of a healthy lifestyle.

You should also change your diet, reduce your stress, and detox. If you have cancer and want to start exercising then download our free guide.

Learn 20 easy exercises you can use if you have cancer.

So right now download the free report here and start reading it. I’ve chosen 20 different activities that are both low impact and fun to do.

Just try one activity from the list. Ask your doctor if you feel unsure if it's right for you.

Don’t like the activity? Pick something else from the list. The important part is just to start moving.

Get your calendar out and plan out when you can exercise. It doesn’t need to take too much of your time. 30 min every Thursday or whenever you can is a great start.

You have to check with your body. Never do more than you can manage. Try exercising even if it feels insignificant.

Increase your exercise regimen if you feel that you can handle more. Good luck!

If you have any questions or comments please leave them below.


About the author 

Simon Persson

Simon Persson is a holistic cancer blogger passionate about natural health remedies. When he is not blogging, he enjoys nature, cooking, sports, and learning about the latest gadgets on the market.

You may also like

  • I’m looking for ways to keep me active during my cancer treatment. What I’ve read so far seems helpful and I’ll like to give it a try.

  • {"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}
    >

    By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information

    The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

    Close