Research Confirms: Exercise Can Improve Survival After Bowel Cancer Treatment
Adding to the wealth of research into the benefits of exercise in cancer, a new international study has strong evidence to show exercise is a powerful part of recovery after colon cancer treatment.
Published in The New England Journal of Medicine in June 2025, the research followed people who had completed treatment for colon cancer. It found that a structured exercise programme helped participants not only regain fitness but also live longer and reduce their risk of the cancer returning.
🌿 What the Study Found
Over 800 people took part in this large international trial across many countries including Canada, the UK, Australia, Israel, the USA, and France. Participants were of a large span of adult ages, with an average age of 61. Amongst several other criteria, trial participants had completed surgery for adenocarcinoma of the colon and completed adjuvant chemotherapy within last 2-6 months.
Key points:
Those who took part in a structured exercise programme were fitter and more likely to keep exercising long term.
Exercise reduced the chance of the cancer coming back, a new cancer forming, or death — and this benefit became even stronger over time.
After five years, disease free survival was 6.4% higher in the exercise group.
The risk of death was 37% lower for those who exercised.
These improvements weren’t because of weight loss — meaning the benefits came from other healthy changes in the body, like improved immunity and reduced inflammation.
Interestingly, even the control group stayed fairly active because they learned about the benefits of exercise. But they weren’t as active as the exercise group, which means the positive effects of structured exercise could have been even greater compared to someone who was completely sedentary.
Researchers believe Exercise helps by:
Improving the immune system
Reducing inflammation
Balancing hormones and insulin levels
Helping the body control hidden “micrometastases” (tiny cancer cells that could otherwise grow later)
What This Means for You
At any point in your cancer journey whether you’ve been newly diagnosed or during treatments or many years post exercise is medicine. Starting, maintaining and progressing exercise can make a real difference to your recovery, energy, and long-term health.
If you need some support to get and keep moving I work with people with cancer or recovering from its treatments to design safe, structured programmes that rebuild strength, confidence, and quality of life.
This new research shows that these efforts are not only about feeling better — they can actually improve survival and reduce recurrence.
“🌸 Exercise isn’t just “something nice to do” after cancer — it’s a powerful tool for healing and prevention.🌸”
If you’re ready to start moving again after treatment, you don’t have to do it alone.
Let’s work together to help your body recover and thrive - get in touch here.
Rachael
Reference:
Cornea, R. et al. Structured Exercise After Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Colon Cancer. The New England Journal of Medicine, June 2025.