By Erin Phelan
Fitness Industry Council of Canada
September is Cancer Awareness Month in Canada. In a statement earlier this month, the Minister of Health reminded us that cancer remains the leading cause of death in Canada. The statistics are sobering: 2 in 5 Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, and 1 in 4 will die of the disease.
Yet behind those numbers lies hope and opportunity — because science is showing us that exercise is one of the most powerful tools we have to prevent, manage, and even improve outcomes in cancer.
For the fitness industry, this is a call to action.
Exercise as Prevention
We know lifestyle plays a critical role in cancer risk. Up to 40% of cancers can be prevented through changes to lifestyle and environment, including exercise.
Canadian research reinforces this. The ALPHA and BETA trials in Alberta, led by Dr. Christine Friedenreich, studied how different “doses” of aerobic activity affect breast-cancer biomarkers in post-menopausal women. The findings were clear: more exercise produced greater improvements in biological markers linked to cancer risk. Exercise dose matters — and structured, consistent movement delivers the strongest protection.
Exercise During Treatment & Survivorship
For decades, rest was often prescribed to people undergoing cancer treatment. Today, research has flipped that narrative. Exercise is no longer “nice to have” — it is safe, feasible, and improves quality of life during chemotherapy, radiation, and recovery.
Patients who engage in structured exercise during and after treatment report:
- Less fatigue
- Better cardiovascular fitness and strength
- Improved mood and reduced anxiety
- Greater ability to tolerate side effects
These are not small wins.
They are life-changing.
Exercise helps patients stay strong through the toughest fight of their lives.
At the UBC Cancer Exercise & Physiotherapy Lab, researchers are studying how exercise improves survival, reduces recurrence, and supports physiological resilience for Canadians living beyond cancer. These programs echo the same conclusion: movement is not optional — it’s medicine.
The Evidence Is Stronger Than Ever: The CHALLENGE Trial
In 2025, Canadian researchers published a landmark clinical trial in the New England Journal of Medicine, also covered in FitBizWeekly, that should reframe how we view exercise in cancer care.
The CHALLENGE Trial followed more than 900 colon cancer survivors across Canada. One group completed a three-year structured exercise program post-surgery and chemotherapy, while the other received general health education.
The results?
- 28% lower recurrence or new primary cancers in the exercise group.
- 37% lower risk of death.
As Queen’s Alumni Review reported, this was a global first — the first clinical trial designed to test whether structured exercise improves survival after cancer treatment. Dr. Christopher Booth, co-chair of the trial, explained the magnitude of the effect: for every 14 participants in the exercise group, one death was prevented — a benefit comparable to many chemotherapy regimens.
Importantly, exercise wasn’t left to chance. Patients were supported by physical-activity consultants who tailored aerobic programs (walking, biking, swimming) and provided accountability check-ins every two weeks in the first year, then monthly in years two and three. The human connection mattered: adherence rose when people knew someone was in their corner.
As Zach Weston, Executive Director of the Fitness Industry Council of Canada, notes:
“The landmark Canadian trial showing that structured exercise can reduce recurrence and mortality in colon cancer survivors doesn’t just raise hope — it confirms what we in the fitness industry have known: exercise is medicine. At FIC, we believe every fitness professional has a role to play in translating these findings into real-life impact. Whether it’s a strength session, aerobic training, or walking routines prescribed with purpose, structured movement is no longer optional — it’s essential to prevention and survivorship.”
Structured Exercise is the Key
What this research makes clear is that not all movement is equal. Telling patients to “be more active” is not enough. The biggest impacts come from structured programs — with specific doses of aerobic and resistance exercise, delivered consistently and with accountability.
From the CHALLENGE Trial to Alberta’s biomarker studies and UBC’s survivorship lab, Canadian research is leading the world in proving that exercise is not just prevention, but treatment.
What This Means for the Fitness Industry
For Fitness Industry Council of Canada members, this moment is both a challenge and an opportunity:
- Education & Training: Fitness professionals must be equipped to deliver safe, effective exercise to people at risk, in treatment, and in survivorship.
- Access & Equity: Gyms, YMCAs, municipal centres, and studios can become hubs where structured, supervised exercise is accessible to all Canadians.
- Advocacy: Together, we must continue pressing for a National Fitness Strategy, and for exercise to be recognized in national cancer-care pathways and funded as part of prevention and survivorship.
Moving Forward Together
The burden of cancer in Canada is immense. But the research is clear: exercise prevents cancer, supports patients through treatment, and improves survival.
This is not fringe science. It is front-page, peer-reviewed, made-in-Canada evidence. And it is time for our industry to embrace its role in the fight.
At FIC, we believe structured movement is medicine. The challenge — and the opportunity — is to ensure every Canadian has access to it.
Because when we talk about cancer and exercise, we’re not just talking about sets and reps. We’re talking about prevention, treatment and hope.
Fitness Industry Council of Canada (FIC) is the not-for profit trade association that represents the voice of fitness facility operators across Canada. Representing more than 6,000 facilities with more than six-million members nationwide, FIC pursues a legislative agenda in the hope of bettering the fitness industry for both consumers and operators. FIC aims to work with both industry and government to improve the health and physical activity levels of Canadians.
