Exercising now can increase your chances of successfully fighting cancer in the future.

Even low levels of exercise provided protection against cancer, a new study published Jan. 7 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine shows.

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People were 47% less likely to die from cancer if they’d been engaging in moderate to vigorous physical activity prior to their diagnosis, compared to people not exercising at all, researchers found.

Likewise, those engaging in light exercise had a 33% lower risk of dying from cancer, compared with none at all, the study says.

“Physical activity may be considered to confer substantial benefits in terms of progression and overall mortality to those diagnosed with cancer,” concluded the team led by senior researcher Dr. Jon Patricios, an associate professor with the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.

“In a world where cancer continues to be a significant public health burden, the promotion of physical activity can yield important benefits regarding the progression of cancer as well as its prevention and management,” the researchers added.

For the study, researchers tracked the health of more than 28,000 people diagnosed with early-stage cancers in South Africa between 2007 and 2022. Breast and prostate cancers were the most common, representing 44% of cases.

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Researchers compared the patients’ levels of physical activity in the 12 months prior to their cancer diagnosis with how quickly their cancer progressed after diagnosis.

Moderate-intensity exercise includes walking briskly, bicycling slowly, taking active yoga, or doing yard work. Vigorous exercise includes running, swimming laps, bicycling fast or taking an aerobics class.

They found that moderate to high levels of exercise reduced the risk of cancer progressing to more dangerous stages by 27%, compared to no exercise.

Light exercise reduced the risk of cancer progression by 16%, results show.

What’s more, exercise prior to cancer was associated with lower risks of progression and death as far as five years out from diagnosis, researchers found.

The researchers speculated that exercise might help prepare the body to fight cancer by strengthening natural immunity.

Exercise might also lower the progression risk of hormone-driven cancers like breast and prostate cancer by improving the body’s regulation of estrogen and testosterone.

“Public health guidelines should encourage individuals to engage in physical activity to not only prevent cancer but to mitigate the risk of cancer progression,” the researchers concluded.