Physical Exercise and Nutrition in Lung Cancer

Staying active and eating well can help you feel stronger, cope better with treatment, and improve day-to-day life with lung cancer

Why exercise and nutrition are essential in lung cancer care

Many people think they should rest during lung cancer treatment. But research shows that staying active and eating well can help you feel better, cope with side effects, and stay independent.

Even small changes can support your strength, energy, and recovery. Exercise and nutrition are part of your care, not something extra.

Exercise and Lung Cancer: What the Evidence Shows

The Evidence for Exercise

The research is compelling. A systematic review and meta‑analysis found that exercise significantly reduced cancer‑related fatigue in people with advanced lung cancer and particularly benefited those under 60. The analysis of eight randomised controlled trials involving 749 participants showed meaningful improvements in fatigue, quality of life, and breathlessness.

A 2025 study from the Huntsman Cancer Institute showed that personalised exercise programmes significantly improved physical function and reduced fatigue in people undergoing lung cancer surgery, with women showing especially strong benefits. Participants who followed structured exercise plans maintained or improved their fitness, while those receiving standard care experienced declines.

Research across multiple cancer types also shows that people with lung cancer who remained physically active after diagnosis reduced their risk of death by around 20 percent, according to a meta‑analysis published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

What Exercise Can Do for You

Before treatment (prehabilitation):

  • Improves fitness going into surgery or treatment

  • Reduces the risk of complications

  • Shortens hospital stays

  • Speeds up recovery

During treatment:

  • Helps manage fatigue

  • Reduces anxiety and depression

  • Maintains muscle mass and strength

  • Improves sleep

  • Eases treatment side effects

After treatment:

  • Supports recovery and rehabilitation

  • Reduces the risk of recurrence

  • Improves long-term quality of life

  • Helps rebuild stamina

Types of exercise to consider

There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Your exercise plan should reflect your current fitness, treatment stage, and any health conditions. These three categories can work well together:

Aerobic exercise (gets your heart rate up): Walking is the easiest and most accessible choice. Others include cycling, swimming, or gentle dancing. Even five minutes at a time helps.

Resistance training (builds strength): Light weights, resistance bands, or your own body weight help preserve muscle. Examples include chair exercises, wall push-ups, or lifting tins.

Flexibility and balance: Gentle stretching, yoga, or tai chi help with range of motion and preventing falls. A 2024 study in JAMA Oncology found that tai chi improved sleep and reduced fatigue in people with advanced lung cancer.

Start slow and build up gradually. If you're not used to regular activity, aim for short sessions and increase over time.

Good nutrition during lung cancer treatment helps your body stay strong, manage side effects, and respond better to treatment.

Research in the Journal of Clinical Medicine (September 2024) found that individualised dietary counselling helped maintain body weight and improve treatment response in people with lung cancer.

A systematic review published in Nutrients (March 2023) found that increasing energy and protein intake improved quality of life, physical functioning, and treatment outcomes. The same review also reported early evidence that omega‑3 fatty acids may help reduce inflammation and lessen chemotherapy toxicity.

Malnutrition is common in people with lung cancer and is linked to poorer outcomes, lower quality of life, and shorter survival. Around half of people with lung cancer experience appetite loss, and many also experience unintentional weight loss. Good nutrition can help counter these effects.

Nutrition and Lung Cancer: What the Evidence Shows

The Evidence for Nutrition

What Good Nutrition Can Do for You

Maintain strength and energy
Getting enough calories and protein helps prevent muscle loss, which can happen during cancer and its treatment. This helps you stay stronger and more able to manage daily life.

Support your immune system
The right mix of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients supports your body’s immune response during treatment.

Manage treatment side effects
What you eat can help ease common side effects like nausea, constipation, and taste changes. Eating well can make treatment more manageable.

Improve treatment outcomes
People who are well-nourished tend to respond better to treatment, experience fewer complications, and recover more quickly (JCO Global Oncology, 2022).

What to Eat


Lean protein
Protein helps your body repair tissue and stay strong. Try to include it at every meal. Good sources include:

  • Oily fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines) - also rich in omega-3s

  • Chicken, turkey, eggs

  • Beans, lentils, tofu

  • Greek yoghurt and nuts

Fruits and vegetables
These provide vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support your body’s defences. Aim for a wide variety of colours. Studies show that nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, selenium and zinc can strengthen antioxidant defences (Nutrients, 2021).

Whole grains
Whole grains give you energy and fibre, and contain antioxidants. Choose wholemeal bread, brown rice, oats, quinoa, and wholegrain pasta.

Healthy fats
Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation and may support treatment tolerance. Good sources include oily fish, walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds, olive oil, and avocados (Nutrients, 2023).

Hydration
Drink water regularly throughout the day, especially if you’re dealing with side effects like vomiting or diarrhoea. Dehydration can make side effects worse.

Managing Common Eating Challenges

Loss of appetite
Eat little and often. Try calorie-rich, nutrient-dense foods. Don’t wait to feel hungry.

Nausea
Stick to bland, easy-to-digest foods. Ginger, peppermint, and citrus may help. Avoid greasy or sweet foods. Eat slowly and sit upright after meals.

Taste changes
Use herbs, spices, and marinades to adjust flavours. Try plastic cutlery if food tastes metallic. A splash of lemon juice or pickles can help restore flavour.

Sore mouth or throat
Soft, moist foods are easiest. Avoid spicy, acidic, or rough-textured foods. Smoothies, scrambled eggs, soups, and yoghurt are often well tolerated.

What should I know about physical exercise and nutrition?

  • This is the most common concern, but research consistently shows the opposite. Exercise actually reduces cancer-related fatigue rather than increasing it. Start gently and build gradually. You may feel tired immediately after activity, but overall energy levels typically improve with regular exercise. The key is finding the right balance for you.

  • Breathlessness is common with lung cancer, but appropriate exercise can actually improve it. Start with very gentle activity like slow walking for just a few minutes. Pulmonary rehabilitation programmes teach breathing techniques and exercises specifically designed for people with lung problems. Many find their breathing improves with structured exercise under professional guidance.

  • No. There's no specific "cancer diet" that will cure lung cancer or replace medical treatment. Focus on eating a balanced, varied diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains. Avoid restrictive diets or unproven "cancer-fighting" foods unless recommended by your doctor. Good general nutrition is what your body needs during treatment.

Being active and eating well can help you feel better during and after lung cancer treatment. They can support your strength, ease some side effects, and make recovery easier.

  • Weight loss is common but concerning. Eat small, frequent meals throughout the day rather than three large meals. Choose calorie-dense, protein-rich foods like nut butters, full-fat dairy, eggs, and smoothies. See a dietitian who can suggest high-calorie supplements if needed. Sometimes appetite-stimulating medication can help, so discuss this with your doctor.

  • This depends on how you feel and what treatment you're receiving. Many people can do gentle activity on treatment days, whilst others need rest. Listen to your body and adjust accordingly. On chemotherapy days, you might manage a short walk. On recovery days, you might feel able to do more. There's no one-size-fits-all answer.

  • Not necessarily, and some may actually interfere with treatment. High-dose antioxidant supplements can potentially reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which work partly by creating oxidative stress in cancer cells. Always tell your doctor about any supplements you're taking. Get nutrients from food when possible, and only take supplements if recommended by your healthcare team.

Exercise Guidance

Speak to your healthcare team first
Before starting any new exercise routine, check in with your team — especially if you’ve had surgery, are breathless, have low blood counts, or bone involvement.

Start from where you are
If you haven’t been active for a while, begin with something manageable. A short walk, even five minutes, is a good start. Build up slowly over time.

Listen to your body
It’s normal to feel a bit tired after exercise, but it shouldn’t wipe you out. Stop if you feel dizzy, get chest pain, or notice anything unusual. Let your doctor know.

Keep it regular, not intense
Gentle movement most days is more helpful than doing too much in one go. What matters is consistency, not pushing through.

Ask about specialist support
Some cancer centres offer exercise classes or physio-led programmes designed for people with cancer. These can be a good way to get started safely.

Nutrition Guidance

Work with a dietitian
Ask your healthcare team if you can see a registered dietitian who understands cancer care. They can help you build a plan that fits your treatment, side effects, and personal needs.

Don’t cut out foods unless you need to
Unless your doctor or dietitian says otherwise, there’s no need to follow strict diets or avoid whole food groups. Focus on eating well and keeping your strength up.

Be careful with supplements
Always check before taking vitamins, minerals, or herbal supplements. Some can interfere with treatment. It’s usually better to get your nutrients from food.

Follow food safety advice
Cancer treatment can weaken your immune system. Wash your hands before preparing food, rinse fruit and veg well, cook meat properly, avoid unpasteurised dairy, and skip buffet or salad bar foods.

Gut health and lung cancer - is there a link?

The Gut–Lung Connection

Your digestive system is home to trillions of bacteria. These microbes don’t just support digestion — they also play a role in how your lungs function and how your body responds to cancer treatment. This link between the gut and lungs is called the gut–lung axis.

Some gut bacteria, including Bifidobacterium, Akkermansia, and Faecalibacterium, produce compounds that help your immune system work better. Clinical studies suggest these bacteria may boost the effects of immunotherapy. Trials have shown around 10–15% improvement in treatment response when probiotics were used alongside immunotherapy.

Research from MD Anderson Cancer Center found that people with lung cancer who ate high-fibre diets responded better to immunotherapy. Response rates were 77% in the high-fibre group compared to 29% in those with lower fibre intake.

Other large studies looking at more than 1.4 million adults have found that people who regularly ate fibre and yoghurt were less likely to develop lung cancer. Yoghurt, in particular, was linked to a 30% lower risk.

What a Healthy Gut Can Do

Roughly 70% of your immune system is based in your gut. A diverse mix of gut bacteria supports immune responses, helps your body handle treatment, and can reduce side effects like diarrhoea. When you eat fibre, your gut bacteria turn it into short-chain fatty acids. These help manage inflammation and support your whole body - including your lungs.

Supporting Your Gut Health

Foods that help:

  • Fibre-rich foods like oats, brown rice, lentils, leafy greens, broccoli, berries and apples

  • Fermented foods like natural yoghurt with live cultures, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi and kombucha

  • Prebiotics like onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus and bananas - these feed your healthy gut bacteria


What to avoid or limit:

  • Unnecessary antibiotics - only take them if your doctor confirms you need them

  • Processed foods, added sugars and saturated fats - best kept to a minimum


Easy steps to get started:


Add a portion of fibre-rich food or a small pot of yoghurt to your day. Aim for variety - eating 30 different plant-based foods across a week is a good goal. If you’re thinking about taking probiotic supplements, check with your healthcare team first. Some, like Bifidobacterium and Clostridium butyricum, have been studied alongside lung cancer treatment.