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Why Exercise Is the #1 Tool for Survivorship

Keep Moving: Exercise Is Worth the Effort
Now that the sun is shining more often in the Pacific Northwest, I’m reminded to be active and enjoy being outside more. I’m also training for a big summer hike, so I have more motivation to keep on track with my training schedule. But as I’m schlepping my weighted backpack around the lake loop, I’m reminded how often I’m asked: What’s really worth spending time on, when it comes to improving my health?

Hands down, the answer is: exercise.

Whether you want to call it movement, physical activity, or just “getting your steps in,” moving your body is one of the most powerful, evidence-backed things you can do to support healing, prevent recurrence, and improve both longevity and quality of life.

Why Exercise Matters—Especially After Breast Cancer
Exercise is one of the four cornerstones of long-term health, along with sleep, nutrition, and stress management. Exercise is also the single most powerful tool you have to support your recovery and vitality—without a prescription.

For breast cancer survivors, consistent physical activity has been shown to:

• Decrease risk of recurrence by up to 30–50%
• Improve survival rates
• Reduce inflammation and insulin resistance
• Lower estrogen levels (especially important post-menopause)
• Maintain healthy weight and reduce body fat
• Enhance mood, energy, and cognitive clarity
• Improve treatment side effects like fatigue, neuropathy, and joint pain

Clinical data backs this up: According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, breast cancer survivors who engage in regular physical activity have a significantly reduced risk of recurrence and breast cancer-specific mortality (Cannioto et al., 2021).

What Kind of Exercise Is Best?
The best type of exercise is the one you can and will do regularly. Our personal preferences aside, a well-rounded routine includes four key movement types:

• Aerobic/Cardio: Walking, swimming, cycling, or dancing boosts cardiovascular health and helps with weight regulation.
• Strength/Resistance Training: Using resistance bands or weights builds lean muscle mass, prevents bone loss, and reduces sarcopenia (muscle wasting).
• Flexibility Work: Stretching, yoga, or mobility work improves range of motion and reduces stiffness—especially important after surgery or radiation.
• Balance Training: Tai chi, Pilates, or even standing on one leg while brushing your teeth can reduce fall risk and strengthen stabilizing muscles.

Get Support: Consider working with a trainer or physical therapist who specializes in cancer recovery—especially if you’re managing lymphedema, neuropathy, or fatigue.

Train Like a Woman
As women age, their exercise and recovery needs evolve. Hormonal shifts during perimenopause and menopause can impact everything from muscle recovery to sleep and hydration. This is where resources like ROAR by Dr. Stacy Sims are groundbreaking—offering a science-backed, female-specific approach to performance and longevity. Sims’ mantra, “Women are not small men,” reminds us that traditional exercise science has often been based on male physiology. Aging women need strength training to preserve lean muscle mass, plyometric work to protect bones, and tailored fueling strategies to support changing metabolism. Honoring the physiology of midlife and beyond not only improves health outcomes but helps women feel powerful and connected to their bodies again.

The Power of Muscle: Why Lean Mass Matters
After cancer treatment, your body may lose muscle and gain fat—even if your weight hasn’t changed. This “body composition shift” is common, and it’s a hidden risk factor.

Lean muscle mass isn’t just about strength—it’s about survival.

Muscle tissue helps regulate blood sugar, improves metabolic health, and protects bone density. It’s also been linked to better chemotherapy tolerance and overall survival outcomes in cancer patients.

Studies show that breast cancer survivors with more muscle mass have better physical function, fewer treatment-related side effects, and higher survival rates.

HIIT It Smart: High-Intensity Interval Training
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a type of exercise that alternates short bursts of intense movement with recovery periods. It’s efficient and adaptable—even for beginners.

Why HIIT?

• Improves cardiovascular fitness in less time
• Enhances insulin sensitivity and fat loss
• Supports mitochondrial health and energy production
• Increases mood-boosting neurochemicals like BDNF and dopamine
• May reduce inflammation markers associated with recurrence

HIIT is also linked to neuroprotective benefits, supporting cognitive health—a frequent concern post-treatment.

What Actually Helps You Stay Consistent?
So many changes happen to our bodies from cancer treatment. Energy is also a real variable in trying to maintain some form of movement habit. Here’s what behavioral science tells us about what works:

• Accountability: Exercise with a buddy, join a walking group, or text a friend after each workout.
• Scheduling: Treat workouts like medical appointments. Block the time on your calendar.
• Environment: Keep walking shoes by the door or create a cozy corner with a yoga mat and dumbbells.
• Identity Shift: Tell yourself, “I’m someone who moves daily for my health.”
• Celebrate Small Wins: Track progress, not perfection. Even 10 minutes counts.

Women who adopt an “exercise is medicine” mindset are more likely to integrate it into daily life.

More Than Just the Body
Exercise isn’t just about muscles and heart rate—it’s a gateway to emotional healing. Moving your body reminds you that you’re still here. Still strong. Still becoming.

For many women, breast cancer disrupts body image, identity, and confidence. Movement helps you reconnect with your body—not as something broken, but as something strong, resilient, and worthy of care.

A long hike—or a long haul—is about the whole woman.

You are not just a breast cancer patient or survivor. You are a person with goals, dreams, and decades of life ahead. And you have power. Every time you move, you affirm that.

Resources & References

• Cannioto R, et al. (J Clin Oncol. 2021). Physical activity and survival in breast cancer patients.
• Irwin ML, et al. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008). Physical activity and breast cancer prognosis.
• Schmitz KH, et al. (CA Cancer J Clin. 2019). Exercise recommendations for cancer survivors.

Yours in Health,
Dr. Laura