Staying active after cancer: why the first year may need more support

A cancer diagnosis can affect energy, routines and how easy it feels to stay active. Understanding these everyday changes – and when they may be greatest – could help healthcare professionals offer support that feels realistic and manageable for each person. 

The study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, analysed data from 91,352 UK Biobank participants. This included 10,152 people with a history of cancer, as well as healthy adults and people living with other health conditions. 

Participants wore a wrist activity monitor for up to 7 days. This allowed researchers to estimate how much of each day they spent doing moderate-to-vigorous activity, light activity, and inactive time (including sedentary behaviour and sleep). 

The study, which was part of an international collaboration based at Monash University in Australia, made strong use of wearable technology to record and transmit movement data. Participants wore a wrist activity monitor to provide an objective picture of movement, sitting and sleep across everyday life. 

What did the study find? 

On average, people with a history of cancer spent about 25 fewer minutes per day being active than the healthy group. That included 11 fewer minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity and 14 fewer minutes of light activity. They also spent around 11 more minutes sedentary and 14 more minutes in the measured sleep period. 

The difference was greatest among people diagnosed less than a year earlier. They recorded about 40 fewer active minutes a day, alongside around 20 more sedentary minutes and 20 more minutes in the sleep period, compared to healthy individuals. The largest differences were seen among people with lung and gastrointestinal cancers, although some cancer groups were small and the results require cautious interpretation. 

The monitor’s “sleep period” also included time spent awake in bed and longer periods could include disrupted or inefficient sleep, so measurements should not be read as a precise record of time asleep. As this was an observational study, it cannot prove that cancer caused the differences or demonstrate exactly how an individual’s activity changed before and after diagnosis. The researchers also did not have detailed information about cancer stage or treatment. 

Why does this matter? 

The findings suggest that gentle, practical support to help people move more may be especially important soon after a cancer diagnosis. This does not have to mean structured exercise. Looking at the whole day could help healthcare professionals find realistic ways to replace some sitting time with safe, manageable movement. 

Dr Yue Liao of the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Texas at Arlington, who led the research, explained: 

“A cancer diagnosis can reshape everyday life, including how much people move, sit and rest. By using wearable monitors, we found that people with a history of cancer were less active across the day – and that the difference was greatest in the first year after diagnosis. These findings underline the need for practical, personalised support that helps each person move in ways that feel safe, realistic and achievable.” 

The work was partly funded by the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), as part of its work to build evidence that can improve health and quality of life for people affected by cancer. AICR is part of a network of charities led by World Cancer Research Fund International, alongside World Cancer Research Fund in the UK and Wereld Kanker Onderzoek Fonds in the Netherlands. 

World Cancer Research Fund International’s Assistant Director of Research and Policy, Dr Helen Croker, said: 

“Wearable monitors are common devices nowadays, but they’re scientifically exciting. They have revolutionised research, giving us far more data than old approaches like self-reported surveys and letting us understand much more accurately how people actually move, sit and sleep. 

“We’re delighted that our funding has helped this terrific team use this kind of data to show how behaviour shapes cancer risk and survival, and where support is needed most.” 

AICR recommends moving more and sitting less when possible. People receiving or recovering from cancer treatment should ask their healthcare team what is safe and suitable for them.