What if improving life after cancer didn’t start in a gym, but in the living room?

Physical activity is one of the most powerful tools for cancer survivors. It lowers the risk of recurrence and other chronic health conditions, improves physical and mental function, and supports overall well-being. But for many survivors, the idea of “exercise” can feel overwhelming, unrealistic, or out of reach.

That’s where Whitney Morelli, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, is reshaping the conversation.

Movement looks different for everyone, and survivors don’t need to set extreme goals to reap the benefits. Activities like household chores, yard work, and shoveling snow—things many people are already doing—still count.

Her research focuses on making daily movement more accessible and more personalized so survivors can have a better quality of life.

“We’re just trying to get people to move more, get up out of their chairs,” said Dr. Morelli.

Adapting Science to the Survivor

In addition to common barriers to exercise, like time and access, cancer survivors deal with symptoms and side effects that other populations often do not, Dr. Morellli explained. Her overall goal is to reduce the burden of symptoms like pain and fatigue by developing and testing strategies to promote physical activity.

Instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach, she aims to tailor these strategies to each person’s functional abilities and symptom fluctuations throughout the day.

“All of my work is based on this personalized approach where we aren’t just providing an overall prescription or program for everybody but really trying to take into account where people are and move them to where we want them to be,” she added.

“The most effective way to meet your activity goals is to find something you enjoy and something that you're going to stick with,” Dr. Morelli said.

Currently, Dr. Morelli is leading a trial that focuses on the association between physical activity and managing pain symptoms in older cancer survivors. Using wearable devices and smartphone apps, researchers can deliver real-time prompts throughout the day. The goal is to identify the optimal moments to encourage movement, when it is most likely to reduce pain and feel manageable.

“We’re trying to understand the most effective time to cue them to be physically active,” she said about the trial, which is enrolling now.

In another recent project, Dr. Morelli developed a physical activity intervention to reduce fatigue symptoms for people with chronic myeloid leukemia. Similar to her ongoing trial, the team for this initiative will examine changes in fatigue levels throughout the day and determine when activity will most effectively reduce fatigue.

Prioritizing Survivorship Care

One more benefit of physical activity is the agency it gives survivors as they strive to maintain independence.

“A lot of survivors feel a lack of control in their care,” Dr. Morelli said, “but this is one way that survivors tell us they can feel a sense of control over what they're doing.”

As the number of survivors continues to grow, the MCW Cancer Center is elevating this phase of care to its sixth scientific priority. Dr. Morelli said that shift is especially meaningful because life after treatment can span decades. Ensuring survivors have the resources to maintain strength, independence, and physical function for as long as possible is essential to long-term well-being.

Learn more about cancer survivorship.