Does Exercise Prevent Cancer? The Answer is a Resounding Yes, According to New Studies

A lack of exercise can strengthen cancer’s attack on someone’s body. Yet if someone regularly engages in physical activity, they can go on the attack against cancer.

Studies show that adults who are physically active reduce their risk of developing several types of cancer. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Cancer Society, they include cancer of the:

• Bladder
• Breasts
• Colon
• Esophagus
• Kidneys
• Lungs
• Prostate
• Stomach
• Uterus

Exercise and cancer prevention 

“Physical activity can help regulate some hormones that contribute to the development of cancer and help keep the immune system healthy,” the American Cancer Society says.

Regular exercise also helps you maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese is a factor in an estimated 14% to 20% of cancer deaths in the U.S., the cancer society says.

In addition, when you’re exercising, you’re not sitting. An increasing amount of evidence indicates the amount of time you sit, regardless of how much you exercise when you’re not sitting, can increase the likelihood of developing several kinds of cancer, according to the cancer society.

How exercise plays a key role in cancer prevention and recovery

An article published in 2023 by the British Medical Bulletin explains that exercise not only aids cancer prevention but also lowers rates of cancer complications and serious side effects from cancer treatments, and improves the chances for survival.

Authors of the article reviewed a number of research studies and found that exercise contributes to:

• Cell growth.
• Less oxidative stress, which is an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants that can damage cells.
• Repair of DNA damage.
• Less inflammation. Inflammation is often linked to the development and progression of cancer.
• Immune system improvements.
• Lower levels of anxiety and depression, both of which affect many cancer patients.

“The importance of physical activity before, during and after cancer treatments is being appreciated as emerging evidence indicates that exercise improves several common side effects associated with cancer therapies and correlates with an improved overall survival and a lower probability of relapse,” the article says.

Authors of the article also noted that it appears it’s never too late for cancer patients to begin an exercise regimen before undergoing surgery.

“Beyond surgery, better physical function, muscle volume and exercise levels have been connected to higher rates of response and enhanced tolerance to chemotherapy, hormone therapies, radiotherapy and even the newer targeted immunotherapies,” the article says.

Landmark study underscores benefits of exercise for cancer patients

Backing up evidence included in the British Medical Bulletin article, a first-of-its-kind study published in 2025 by the New England Journal of Medicine showed that regular physical activity can prolong the lives of cancer patients.

The study examined the effects of exercise on 889 colon cancer patients. Patients were randomly divided into a group that received health education materials and a group that went through a three-year exercise program.

After almost eight years of followup, patients in the exercise group saw an overall 37% reduction in deaths from colon cancer compared with patients in the health education group, Yale University’s School of Public Health explained. The survival rates were 90.3% for the exercise group and 83.2% for the health education group.

Furthermore, 80% of patients in the exercise group remained disease-free after five years versus 74% of patients in the health education group, according to The New York Times.

“In sum, this first trial of exercise on disease-free survival in patients with colon cancer provides definitive evidence that exercise offers additional benefits to overall survival beyond surgery and chemotherapy, while also enhancing quality of life. The magnitude of benefit is comparable to that of many approved cancer therapies,” Dr. Melinda Irwin, associate dean of research at Yale’s School of Public Health, said in an article posted on the university’s website.

Coinciding with the study’s release, the New England Journal of Medicine published an article by Irwin about the research. She was not among the study’s researchers.

Which physical activities can help prevent or survive cancer?

A range of physical activities can benefit cancer prevention and survival. According to the National Cancer Institute and CDC, they include:

• Walking
• Running
• Dancing
• Cycling
• Swimming
• Doing household chores
• Exercising, such as lifting weights or doing yoga
• Participating in sports
• Working in your garden

How much physical activity is recommended?

The American Heart Association says adults should shoot for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity, or a combination of the two spread throughout the week.

According to the CDC, moderate-intensity aerobic activity includes walking fast, doing water aerobics, pedaling a bike on a relatively flat surface or pushing a lawn mower. Vigorous aerobic activity includes jogging, running, swimming laps or playing basketball. Aerobic activity should be coupled with moderate- or high-intensity muscle-strengthening activities at least twice per week.

“Everyone’s fitness level is different,” the CDC points out. “This means that walking may feel like a moderate-intensity activity to you, but for others, it may feel vigorous. It all depends on you — the shape you’re in, what you feel comfortable doing and your health condition. What’s important is that you do physical activities that are right for you and your abilities.”