Beyond the Pink Ribbon: What We're Learning About Exercise & Cancer

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

You'll see pink ribbons everywhere this month—and awareness matters.

At Athena, we also want to talk about what happens during and after breast cancer treatment.

How do we help women maintain their strength during treatment?

How do we help them recover after surgery?

How do we address shoulder stiffness, fatigue, weakness, balance changes, lymphedema concerns, or the fear of returning to exercise?

And perhaps one of the most exciting questions:

What role can exercise play in long-term health after cancer?

New research is giving us even more reason to make exercise an important part of the conversation.

The CHALLENGE Study: A Big Moment for Exercise Oncology

For years, we've known that exercise can help people with cancer improve strength, fitness, fatigue, physical function, and quality of life.

But the CHALLENGE trial took that conversation a significant step further.

The study followed 889 people with colon cancer who had completed chemotherapy and randomly assigned them to either a three-year structured exercise program or health education alone.

After a median follow-up of nearly eight years, the exercise group had better disease-free survival. Five-year disease-free survival was 80.3% in the exercise group compared with 73.9% in the health-education group.

Researchers also found results supporting better overall survival: eight-year overall survival was 90.3% versus 83.2%.

In other words, this wasn't simply a study showing that exercise helped people feel better.

It provided randomized trial evidence that a structured exercise program after cancer treatment could influence important long-term cancer outcomes.

And that's a really exciting shift in the way we think about exercise after cancer.

But What About Breast Cancer?

There's an important distinction here:

CHALLENGE studied colon cancer—not breast cancer.

So we can't simply take those numbers and say the same survival benefit has been proven in women with breast cancer.

But researchers are asking exactly that question.

And we're beginning to see some very encouraging information.

A 2026 study looked at data from breast cancer survivors and evaluated exercise strategies modeled partly after the CHALLENGE approach.

Researchers found that tailored increases in aerobic exercise were associated with lower long-term mortality, including breast-cancer-specific mortality.

This study wasn't the same type of randomized clinical trial as CHALLENGE, so it doesn't prove cause and effect.

But taken alongside everything else we're learning about exercise and cancer survivorship, it reinforces an important message:

Exercise deserves to be part of the conversation about cancer care—not simply something we tell people to return to when treatment is over.

What Does This Mean for You?

You don't need to become a marathon runner.

And you certainly shouldn't feel like there's a magical amount of exercise you need to achieve or that cancer outcomes are somehow within your complete control.

That's not the message.

The takeaway is that movement matters.

The right exercise program can support:

Strength and muscle mass
Cardiovascular fitness
Bone health
Balance
Cancer-related fatigue
Brain fog
Mental health
Confidence
Physical function
Overall quality of life

And increasingly, researchers are studying how exercise may influence long-term cancer outcomes as well.

The most important word, though, is individualized.

Your exercise program should take into consideration your diagnosis, treatment history, surgery, medications, bone health, cardiovascular health, neuropathy, balance, lymphedema risk, current fitness level, and goals.

That's especially important if you're trying to return to exercise after treatment and aren't sure where to begin.

Learn about Oncostrong

Learn about breast cancer rehabilitation

Breast Cancer Rehabilitation Doesn't Start—or End—with Exercise

Exercise is incredibly important, but it's only one piece of recovery.

At Athena, our breast cancer rehabilitation program can support women before surgery, during treatment, and throughout survivorship.

We can help address:

Shoulder stiffness and weakness
Chest wall tightness
Axillary cording
Scar restrictions
Lymphedema and swelling concerns
Radiation-related tissue changes
Neuropathy
Balance difficulties
Cancer-related fatigue
Returning to exercise safely

Whenever possible, we love meeting patients before breast cancer surgery so we can establish baseline measurements, provide education, and begin planning for recovery before problems develop.

And if your treatment ended years ago?

It's not too late.

If something is keeping you from moving, exercising, or living the way you want, it's worth addressing.

This October, Let's Talk About More Than Awareness

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an important reminder to prioritize screening and early detection.

But let's also expand the conversation.

Let's talk about recovery.

Let's talk about strength.

Let's talk about exercise.

Let's talk about helping women feel confident in their bodies again.

And let's make rehabilitation and movement a standard part of supporting women before, during, and long after cancer treatment.

If you or someone you love is navigating breast cancer treatment or survivorship and isn't sure where to begin, we're here.

Schedule a Breast Cancer Rehabilitation Evaluation, learn more about ONCOSTRONG, or book a complimentary Discovery Call with our team.

Schedule an appointment today!

Events:

October 4: Screening of M Factor 2 at Patagonia, Old Town

October 18: Walk to Bust Breast Cancer

October 22: Grand Opening of Athena Wellness and Physical Therapy!

Find out more here!

Athena Wellness & Physical Therapy
Helping women feel strong, confident, and supported through every stage of life.

Call us: (571) 506-5536

Email us: info@athenawellnesspt.com

Find out more: {{trigger_link.9rdA5WmInP4JBqI54YK1}}

Instagram