Walking More May Help You Live Longer After Cancer

Among more than 2,600 post-menopausal women with a history of cancer, more daily steps were associated with a lower risk of dying from any cause.

The research was presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention | Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2025.

Women who took 5,000-6,000 steps per day reaped the greatest benefit, reducing their risk of dying by 40%.

Looking specifically at heart issues, each additional 2,500 steps per day was linked to a 34% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.

According to lead author Eric Hyde, PhD, MPH, a research analyst at the University of California, San Diego, encouraging cancer survivors to be more active, sit less, and take more steps every day could be a good way to boost survivorship as well as reduce the risk of dying from heart disease. “Our study helps us to better understand potential physical activity behaviors of post-menopausal women in relation to cancer survival,” he said in a statement.

The women in the study were ages 63 to 99 years; 52% had a history of breast cancer. They wore an accelerometer on one hip for at least 10 hours per day, for at least four days a week, over four years. The accelerometer measured how quickly the women moved in several different directions. The device recorded daily exercise, including light physical activity (for example, housework or slow walking) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (for example, brisk walking, running, playing tennis, or riding a bike). It also tracked total physical activity, and step counts. It also recorded sedentary behavior, including total sitting, reclining, or lying down time while the women were awake. The researchers followed the women for about eight years.

After adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, education, smoking status, alcohol use, general health, post-menopausal HRT use, diabetes, heart disease, BMI, physical function, cancer type, and years since cancer diagnosis, the researchers found that women who took more daily steps and did more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were less likely to die from any cause than women who were less active.

Women who exercised at moderate-to-vigorous intensity for least one hour each day had a 40% lower risk of dying from any cause and a 60% lower risk of dying from heart disease than women who exercised for less time or at a lower intensity. Still, women who exercised for less time also benefited.

“While structured exercise remains the most efficient and effective way to improve your health, these findings highlight that walking — at any intensity — matters,” Keith Diaz, PhD, a certified exercise physiologist at Columbia University Medical Center who was not involved with the study, said in a statement. “The road to an active lifestyle is more accessible than we often assume, and the benefits are available to everyone, including people navigating life after cancer.

The study also illustrates how unhealthy sitting can be: Every 102-minutes of sitting time per day was linked to a 12% higher risk of dying from any cause and a 30% increase in the risk of dying from heart disease.

“Many adults now spend the majority of their day sitting, not engaged in physical activity, and for cancer survivors, this issue is likely even more pronounced due to the physical toll of cancer treatment and recovery,” Diaz continued. “These findings add to the growing body of evidence that prolonged sitting is a significant health risk — one that we must actively combat, particularly after a cancer diagnosis.”