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Integrative Health

With Cancer Cases Rising, This Lifestyle Shift Could Make A Difference

Ava Durgin
Author:
Ava Durgin
August 14, 2025
Ava Durgin
Assistant Health Editor
By Ava Durgin
Assistant Health Editor
Ava Durgin is the Assistant Health Editor at mindbodygreen. She is a recent graduate from Duke University where she received a B.A. in Global Health and Psychology. In her previous work, Ava served as the Patient Education Lead for Duke Hospital affiliated programs, focusing on combating food insecurity and childhood obesity.
Image by Oleksii Syrotkin / Stocksy
August 14, 2025

We’ve long known that exercise helps prevent many chronic illnesses, and cancer is no exception1. But a new meta-analysis just uncovered another compelling reason to stay active: being physically fit could improve your outcomes if you’re ever diagnosed with cancer.

In the face of rising cancer rates, especially among younger people and women, taking a proactive, whole-body approach to prevention and resilience is more relevant than ever. While some risk factors are out of our hands, your muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness remain solid tools in your corner.

What the research shows

A team of researchers analyzed data from 42 studies, including nearly 47,000 cancer patients. Their findings were clear2: people with higher muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness lived significantly longer than those with lower levels.

Here’s the breakdown:

  • Cancer patients with high muscle strength or cardiorespiratory fitness had a 31–46% lower risk of all-cause mortality.
  • Even small improvements mattered: each unit increase in strength or cardiorespiratory fitness further reduced mortality risk by 11–18%.
  • The protective effect was especially strong in advanced-stage cancers and cancers of the lung and digestive system.
  • Improved cardiorespiratory fitness also reduced cancer-specific mortality by 18%.

The takeaway

Whether you’re focused on prevention or navigating a diagnosis, movement is powerful for your health. Building strength and improving your cardiovascular fitness could be a meaningful way to support longevity and improve outcomes, even after cancer. 

+Smart steps