
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 (realistically) (1:35:59) The $1 million per patient case for including exercise (1:37:40) Why recurrence trials haven't convinced doctors—yet (1:40:20) The bottom-line message (1:40:39) The myth of a cancer panacea (exercise included) (1:46:51) What's the best $50 investment for staying active? (1:47:24) Only 15 minutes per day—what's the best anti-cancer exercise? Show notes are available by clicking here Watch this episode on YouTube