Moving through cancer: Why exercise belongs in the conversation
13 Oct 2026
By Janine G. Mendoza–Torres,* MD, MCM (MO), FPCP, FPSMO
(Note: This article, in partnership with the Philippine Society of Medical Oncology, appeared in the MIMS Oncology magazine, October–November 2026 issue.)
When we think of exercise, we usually envision people running at steady paces with toned abs and endless physical endurance. However, being in the field of oncology and working out at the same time has changed my view of how I see fitness over the years.
The critical role of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation has always been traditionally emphasized in cancer care. As oncology continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, personalized precision medicine has taken center stage, allowing treatment to be tailored to the biology of each patient’s cancer. With precision medicine, persons with cancer can live longer, shifting the focus to survivorship, function, and quality of life.
Yet, one of the most overlooked tools is movement and exercise. For many Filipino patients, structured exercise is not routinely accessible and incorporated into the cancer care pathway, representing an important opportunity to further strengthen supportive care.
Exercise is more than fitness
Historically, persons living with cancer are advised to rest and take things easy. They are often seen as weak and vulnerable. Fatigue, nausea and the physical demands of treatment can make an ordinary activity feel overwhelming. However, exercise does not always necessarily mean lifting heavy weights or going to the gym.
For someone who has been recently diagnosed with cancer, exercise may mean a simple fifteen-minute walk around the house. For other survivors, it may mean gradually returning to a favorite sport such as swimming or cycling. The objective is not athletic performance, but rather, preserving independence and physical function.
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) recommends aerobic and resistance exercise for adults undergoing active cancer treatment with curative intent to help mitigate treatment-related side effects. Evidence from randomized trials and systematic reviews demonstrates improvements in fatigue, cardiorespiratory fitness, strength, and, in some populations, quality of life and mood. Therefore, exercise is a recommendationduring the treatment itself as well.
Small steps can have meaningful impact
Beginning a physical activity should not feel like a burden to persons living with cancer. They should not be pushed to exercise through severe symptoms. It should be individualized to the diagnosis, ongoing treatment, baseline fitness, and goals.
A person undergoing intensive chemotherapy may have different needs from a cancer survivor returning to work. Those with bone metastasis usually have specific precautions and need professional guidance.
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) emphasizes that while most cancer survivors can exercise freely, some require supervised programs or cancer rehabilitation due to functional limitations. The message is simply not to “exercise more” but to move safely and appropriately.
Fatigue, in particular, is one of the most common and distressing consequences of cancer and its treatment. Cancer survivors usually develop physical deconditioning and loss of muscle mass which serves as a constant reminder of their disease. Physical activity could aid them in reconnecting with their bodies and regain a sense of normalcy and identity.
Sometimes, victory does not always show in CT scans or laboratory results but being able to participate in important family milestones such as attending a child’s graduation or dining outside at a restaurant. Instead of seeing a body that has failed and become ill, cancer survivors hopefully see it as something capable of recovering and adapting.
Take, for example, a person with metastatic disease wherein the focus is control rather than cure. They may not be able to change the incurable outcome of their condition, but there may still be ways to preserve autonomy, physical strength, and, ultimately, dignity.
These outcomes may not always appear in a laboratory report, but they deeply matter to persons living with cancer. Exercise may also represent something more profound for cancer survivors—it is reclaiming a part of their life that cancer temporarily disrupted.
Physicians should live the message, too
Our own relationship with physical fitness deeply influences how we speak to our patients. There are days when gains seem slow and training feels difficult. These are concepts that cancer survivors intimately understand. Progress and survival is rarely linear, often with setbacks and interruptions.
Participating in endurance sports and meeting cancer survivors in these events has given me a deeper appreciation of the discipline and patience required to build strength. Healthy living is all about consistency and not perfection.
As physicians, we frequently counsel about healthy behaviors such as good nutrition, sleep, and exercise. One of the most powerful ways we can communicate these messages is by embodying them ourselves. Taking care of our own health is a lifelong process.
Reframing what cancer care means
Modern oncology has given us remarkable advances that seemed unimaginable years ago. Cancer treatment have given cures and extended life. But as our treatments improve, the definition of successful cancer care should change as well.
Just as cancer care is rarely delivered by a single specialist, supporting a person through the cancer diagnosis should not rely on medical treatment alone. Physical activity should be recognized as an integral component of the multidisciplinary team approach, with referrals to appropriate exercise and rehabilitation specialists for proper functional needs assessment.
When exercise is not routinely incorporated into the cancer care pathway, other healthcare professionals may also be hesitant to recommend or initiate it. Including exercise oncology in the framework for assessment and prescription during multidisciplinary conferences may help bridge this gap, giving clinicians and patients confidence that physical activity is not an add-on but an essential part of their treatment plan.
This shift in mindset regarding exercise is also beginning to take shape within the Philippine oncology community. The Philippine Society of Medical Oncology (PSMO) has incorporated physical activity into its advocacy efforts, including encouraging exercise among oncologists themselves and incorporating activities such as Zumba into public health education sessions.
Bringing movement into spaces where oncologists, patients, and communities come together help make exercise a more visible and accessible part of cancer care and survivorship.
As physical activity gains greater momentum in cancer care, future research may help define the optimal type, timing, intensity, and duration of exercise for different cancer populations while further elucidating its potential impact on recurrence, survival, treatment tolerance, and other meaningful outcomes.
As oncologists, we have powerful medicines at our disposal. But not every intervention has to come from a vial. Sometimes, the prescription is movement. Cancer may change a person’s body and alter the trajectory of their life, but our responsibility is to help them recognize that they are more than their diagnosis.
Cancer care is also about maintaining independence, preserving function, and minimizing treatment-related disability. In many cases, helping that person move forward, literally and figuratively, may be one of the most meaningful things we can do.
*Silliman University Medical Center; ACE Dumaguete Doctors; Negros Polymedic Hospital; Holy Child Hospital; email: janinegmendoza@gmail.com
(Note: This article, in partnership with the Philippine Society of Medical Oncology, appeared in the MIMS Oncology magazine, October–November 2026 issue.)
When we think of exercise, we usually envision people running at steady paces with toned abs and endless physical endurance. However, being in the field of oncology and working out at the same time has changed my view of how I see fitness over the years.
The critical role of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation has always been traditionally emphasized in cancer care. As oncology continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, personalized precision medicine has taken center stage, allowing treatment to be tailored to the biology of each patient’s cancer. With precision medicine, persons with cancer can live longer, shifting the focus to survivorship, function, and quality of life.
Yet, one of the most overlooked tools is movement and exercise. For many Filipino patients, structured exercise is not routinely accessible and incorporated into the cancer care pathway, representing an important opportunity to further strengthen supportive care.
Exercise is more than fitness
Historically, persons living with cancer are advised to rest and take things easy. They are often seen as weak and vulnerable. Fatigue, nausea and the physical demands of treatment can make an ordinary activity feel overwhelming. However, exercise does not always necessarily mean lifting heavy weights or going to the gym.
For someone who has been recently diagnosed with cancer, exercise may mean a simple fifteen-minute walk around the house. For other survivors, it may mean gradually returning to a favorite sport such as swimming or cycling. The objective is not athletic performance, but rather, preserving independence and physical function.
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) recommends aerobic and resistance exercise for adults undergoing active cancer treatment with curative intent to help mitigate treatment-related side effects. Evidence from randomized trials and systematic reviews demonstrates improvements in fatigue, cardiorespiratory fitness, strength, and, in some populations, quality of life and mood. Therefore, exercise is a recommendationduring the treatment itself as well.
Small steps can have meaningful impact
Beginning a physical activity should not feel like a burden to persons living with cancer. They should not be pushed to exercise through severe symptoms. It should be individualized to the diagnosis, ongoing treatment, baseline fitness, and goals.
A person undergoing intensive chemotherapy may have different needs from a cancer survivor returning to work. Those with bone metastasis usually have specific precautions and need professional guidance.
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) emphasizes that while most cancer survivors can exercise freely, some require supervised programs or cancer rehabilitation due to functional limitations. The message is simply not to “exercise more” but to move safely and appropriately.
Fatigue, in particular, is one of the most common and distressing consequences of cancer and its treatment. Cancer survivors usually develop physical deconditioning and loss of muscle mass which serves as a constant reminder of their disease. Physical activity could aid them in reconnecting with their bodies and regain a sense of normalcy and identity.
Sometimes, victory does not always show in CT scans or laboratory results but being able to participate in important family milestones such as attending a child’s graduation or dining outside at a restaurant. Instead of seeing a body that has failed and become ill, cancer survivors hopefully see it as something capable of recovering and adapting.
Take, for example, a person with metastatic disease wherein the focus is control rather than cure. They may not be able to change the incurable outcome of their condition, but there may still be ways to preserve autonomy, physical strength, and, ultimately, dignity.
These outcomes may not always appear in a laboratory report, but they deeply matter to persons living with cancer. Exercise may also represent something more profound for cancer survivors—it is reclaiming a part of their life that cancer temporarily disrupted.
Physicians should live the message, too
Our own relationship with physical fitness deeply influences how we speak to our patients. There are days when gains seem slow and training feels difficult. These are concepts that cancer survivors intimately understand. Progress and survival is rarely linear, often with setbacks and interruptions.
Participating in endurance sports and meeting cancer survivors in these events has given me a deeper appreciation of the discipline and patience required to build strength. Healthy living is all about consistency and not perfection.
As physicians, we frequently counsel about healthy behaviors such as good nutrition, sleep, and exercise. One of the most powerful ways we can communicate these messages is by embodying them ourselves. Taking care of our own health is a lifelong process.
Reframing what cancer care means
Modern oncology has given us remarkable advances that seemed unimaginable years ago. Cancer treatment have given cures and extended life. But as our treatments improve, the definition of successful cancer care should change as well.
Just as cancer care is rarely delivered by a single specialist, supporting a person through the cancer diagnosis should not rely on medical treatment alone. Physical activity should be recognized as an integral component of the multidisciplinary team approach, with referrals to appropriate exercise and rehabilitation specialists for proper functional needs assessment.
When exercise is not routinely incorporated into the cancer care pathway, other healthcare professionals may also be hesitant to recommend or initiate it. Including exercise oncology in the framework for assessment and prescription during multidisciplinary conferences may help bridge this gap, giving clinicians and patients confidence that physical activity is not an add-on but an essential part of their treatment plan.
This shift in mindset regarding exercise is also beginning to take shape within the Philippine oncology community. The Philippine Society of Medical Oncology (PSMO) has incorporated physical activity into its advocacy efforts, including encouraging exercise among oncologists themselves and incorporating activities such as Zumba into public health education sessions.
Bringing movement into spaces where oncologists, patients, and communities come together help make exercise a more visible and accessible part of cancer care and survivorship.
As physical activity gains greater momentum in cancer care, future research may help define the optimal type, timing, intensity, and duration of exercise for different cancer populations while further elucidating its potential impact on recurrence, survival, treatment tolerance, and other meaningful outcomes.
As oncologists, we have powerful medicines at our disposal. But not every intervention has to come from a vial. Sometimes, the prescription is movement. Cancer may change a person’s body and alter the trajectory of their life, but our responsibility is to help them recognize that they are more than their diagnosis.
Cancer care is also about maintaining independence, preserving function, and minimizing treatment-related disability. In many cases, helping that person move forward, literally and figuratively, may be one of the most meaningful things we can do.
*Silliman University Medical Center; ACE Dumaguete Doctors; Negros Polymedic Hospital; Holy Child Hospital; email: janinegmendoza@gmail.com