Researchers studied 341 breast cancer survivors to understand what helps them stay physically active after treatment. They found that having support from friends and family was especially important for staying active—but this was particularly true for people with early-stage cancer or those who didn’t receive chemotherapy. The study also found that feeling like exercise is too hard (due to side effects or other barriers) made it less likely that survivors would exercise regularly. These findings suggest that doctors and support programs should focus extra attention on helping certain groups of survivors get the encouragement they need to stay active.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: How physical activity, encouragement from others, and exercise challenges are connected in breast cancer survivors, and whether the type or stage of cancer changes these connections.
  • Who participated: 341 women who had finished their main cancer treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation) and were participating in a program to improve their diet and exercise habits through the internet.
  • Key finding: When survivors felt that exercise was too difficult or had too many obstacles, they exercised less. More importantly, having support from family and friends helped survivors stay active—but this support was especially helpful for those with early-stage cancer or those who didn’t have chemotherapy.
  • What it means for you: If you’re a breast cancer survivor, having people who encourage you to exercise may be more important than you realize. This is especially true if your cancer was caught early or if you didn’t need chemotherapy. Talk to your doctor about joining support groups or programs that can help keep you motivated.

The Research Details

This study looked at information collected from 341 breast cancer survivors at the start of a web-based program designed to help them eat better and exercise more. The researchers asked survivors questions about how confident they felt about exercising, how much support they had from friends and family, what made it hard for them to exercise, and how much they actually exercised. They also gave some survivors special watches (called accelerometers) that tracked their movement for several days to get an accurate picture of their activity levels.

The researchers then used math and statistics to look for patterns. They checked whether survivors with different types of cancer (early-stage versus advanced, with or without chemotherapy) showed different patterns in how social support affected their exercise habits. This approach helps doctors understand if one-size-fits-all advice actually works for everyone or if different groups of survivors need different kinds of help.

Understanding these patterns is important because it helps doctors and support programs give better advice. If social support helps some survivors more than others, programs can focus their efforts on the groups who need it most. This makes support programs more effective and helps more survivors stay healthy and active after cancer treatment.

This study has several strengths: it included a fairly large group of survivors (341 people), it measured exercise in two ways (by asking people and by using activity trackers), and it looked at real data from people actually in a program. However, the study only looked at one moment in time rather than following people over months or years, so we can’t be completely sure that social support actually causes people to exercise more—it might just be connected. The study also only included people who joined a web-based program, so the results might not apply to all breast cancer survivors.

What the Results Show

The most important finding was about exercise barriers—when survivors felt that exercise was too hard or had too many obstacles in their way, they exercised significantly less. This was true whether researchers measured exercise by asking survivors or by using activity trackers.

The second major finding involved social support. Having encouragement from family and friends helped survivors stay active, but this help worked differently depending on their cancer history. For survivors with early-stage cancer (DCIS or stage I), social support made a bigger difference in how much they exercised. For survivors with more advanced cancer (stage II or III), social support still helped, but not as much.

Another important pattern emerged with chemotherapy history. Survivors who had NOT received chemotherapy got more benefit from social support when it came to staying active. Those who had received chemotherapy showed less benefit from social support alone, suggesting they might need additional types of help beyond just encouragement from loved ones.

The study looked at several other factors that researchers thought might affect exercise, including confidence in one’s ability to exercise and the type of cancer treatment received. However, most of these other factors didn’t show strong connections to exercise levels in this particular study. This suggests that exercise barriers and social support are the most important things to focus on when trying to help survivors stay active.

Previous research has shown that social support and confidence are generally important for exercise in many groups of people. This study confirms that’s true for breast cancer survivors too. However, this is one of the first studies to show that the importance of social support might change depending on cancer stage and whether someone received chemotherapy. This is a new and useful finding that helps personalize advice for different survivors.

This study has some important limitations to keep in mind. First, it only looked at survivors who joined a web-based program, so the results might not apply to all survivors. Second, the study measured everything at just one point in time, so we can’t prove that social support actually causes more exercise—we can only say they’re connected. Third, the study relied partly on survivors reporting their own exercise, which might not be completely accurate. Finally, the study didn’t look at whether these patterns stay the same over time or change as survivors get further from their treatment.

The Bottom Line

If you’re a breast cancer survivor: (1) Try to identify and reduce barriers to exercise—talk to your doctor about side effects that make movement difficult, and work together to find solutions. (2) Build a support system—tell family and friends that encouragement to exercise is important to you. (3) If you had early-stage cancer or didn’t receive chemotherapy, focus especially on getting social support, as this appears to be particularly helpful for you. (4) If you received chemotherapy, you may benefit from additional support beyond just encouragement, such as working with a physical therapist or exercise specialist. These recommendations have moderate confidence because they’re based on one study, so talk to your healthcare team about what’s right for your situation.

These findings are most relevant for women who have finished their main cancer treatment and are trying to stay active. They’re especially important for those with early-stage breast cancer or those who didn’t receive chemotherapy. However, all breast cancer survivors can benefit from understanding that exercise barriers are a real challenge and that support from others matters. If you’re a caregiver or family member of a survivor, this research shows that your encouragement and support can make a real difference.

Don’t expect immediate changes. Building new exercise habits and feeling the benefits of social support typically takes several weeks to months. Most people start to notice improvements in energy and mood within 4-6 weeks of regular activity, but the full health benefits develop over months and years of consistent exercise.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track two things together: (1) Your daily moderate-to-vigorous activity in minutes (aim for 150 minutes per week), and (2) Your exercise barriers—note what made it hard to exercise that day (fatigue, pain, lack of time, etc.). This helps you see patterns and identify which barriers affect you most.
  • Set a weekly goal to reach out to one support person (friend, family member, or support group) and tell them about your exercise plan. Ask them to check in with you about your progress. Use the app to log these check-ins and notice how they affect your motivation.
  • Every two weeks, review your activity log and barrier log together. If certain barriers keep appearing, brainstorm solutions with your support person or healthcare team. If you notice that check-ins with supporters boost your activity, schedule them more regularly. Adjust your goals based on what you learn about what actually helps you stay active.

This research provides helpful information about patterns in breast cancer survivors’ exercise habits, but it should not replace personalized medical advice. Before starting any new exercise program after cancer treatment, talk with your oncologist or healthcare team, especially if you experienced side effects from chemotherapy or radiation. The findings apply specifically to survivors who have completed primary treatment and may not apply to everyone. Individual results vary based on your specific cancer type, treatment history, and overall health. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making significant changes to your activity level.