Download my “How to Train According to the Experts” guide
Discover my premium podcast, The Aliquot
For decades, exercise was considered an optional part of cancer care—something beneficial for general health but not essential. The evidence is now overwhelming: exercise is not just supportive—it’s a therapeutic intervention that recalibrates tumor biology, enhances treatment tolerance, and improves survival outcomes.
With over 600 peer-reviewed studies, Dr. Kerry Courneya's work has fundamentally reshaped our understanding of how structured exercise—whether aerobic, resistance training, or high-intensity intervals—can mitigate treatment side effects, enhance immune function, and directly influence cancer progression.
Timestamps:
- (00:00) Introduction
- (04:31) Why exercise should be effortful
- (05:17) How to meaningfully reduce risk of cancer
- (09:06) What type of exercise is best?
- (10:43) How exercise reduces risk—even for smokers and the obese
- (13:32) Weekend-only exercise
- (16:33) 150 vs. 300 minutes per week (more is better—up to a point)
- (18:47) Why pre-diagnosis exercise matters
- (21:53) Why resilience to cancer treatment starts with exercise
- (23:45) Why low muscle mass drives cancer death
- (26:42) Why BMI fails to measure true obesity
- (30:35) Why daily activity isn't enough (structured exercise matters)
- (32:18) Breaking up sedentary time—do 'exercise snacks' help?
- (34:34) Supplements vs. exercise
- (35:16) Where exercise fits with chemo and immunotherapy
- (38:14) Why rest is not the best medicine
- (44:04) Aerobic vs. resistance
- (44:57) How weight training improves 'chemo completion'
- (47:25) Why exercise creates vulnerability in cancer cells (limitations do apply)
- (49:53) Why exercise might be crucial for tumor elimination
- (55:47) Why cardio may be better at clearing tumor cells
- (59:02) When cancer spreads quickly—and when it doesn't
- (1:00:27) Why liquid biopsies may prevent over-treatment
- (1:05:40) Exercise-sensitive vs. exercise-resistant cancers
- (1:08:50) Prostate cancer therapy—why strength training matters
- (1:10:54) When exercise is the only therapy—does it work?
- (1:12:10) Why HIIT reduces PSA in prostate cancer
- (1:14:24) Avoiding overtreatment—can exercise buy you time?
- (1:14:44) Why high-intensity exercise boosts anti-cancer biology
- (1:15:55) Turning a diagnosis into a wake-up call
- (1:18:55) Why oncologists are rethinking exercise
- (1:21:34) Why exercise eases anxiety about cancer—proven psychological benefits
- (1:27:44) Before, during, and after treatment
- (1:29:46) Why exercise is unique among cancer therapies
- (1:31:00) Why cancer patients stop exercising—the risky mistake almost everyone makes
- (1:33:25) How to get sedentary cancer patients exercising (rea
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.