Psychological benefits of exercise for cancer survivors

Cancer survivors often face a variety of psychological challenges during the treatment process. With the promotion of comprehensive treatment models, exercise, as a non-pharmacological adjunct therapy, has increasingly gained attention for its role in improving the psychological health of cancer survivors. This paper reviews the relevant literature and deeply explores the positive effects of exercise on the psychological health of cancer survivors, attempting to reveal the physiological and psychological mechanisms behind these effects. From a psychological perspective, exercise not only alleviates symptoms of anxiety, depression, and cancer-related fatigue but also fosters positive social interaction and enhances self-efficacy. The realization of these positive effects may involve multiple mechanisms, such as increased levels of endorphins after exercise, increased cardiorespiratory and muscle strength, enhanced immune system functioning, increased social support, and improved self-efficacy. This paper also analyzes the main challenges encountered in the implementation of exercise interventions, such as individual differences among patients, exercise compliance, and how to more effectively integrate exercise interventions into standard cancer treatment. Finally, this paper looks forward to the direction of future research, suggesting that subsequent studies should focus on the personalized design of exercise interventions, explore the specific effects of different types, intensities, and durations of exercise on cancer survivors of different types and stages. Demographic characteristics such as cultural background, socioeconomic status, gender, and age should also be explored in depth to explore the potential moderating effects of exercise intervention effects and adherence. Collectively, these findings highlight the novel psychosocial contributions of exercise interventions, particularly in facilitating social interaction and enhancing self-efficacy, thereby offering a more comprehensive understanding of their therapeutic potential. This is expected to provide a more scientific and effective exercise intervention strategy for the quality of life and psychosocial resilience of cancer survivors.