DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the colon

  • High-risk stage II disease, including one of the following:

    • T4 lesions
    • Less than 12 sampled lymph nodes
    • Poorly differentiated histology
  • Stage III disease, defined as having at least one pathologically confirmed positive lymph node
  • Synchronous primary colon cancer allowed
• Must have undergone complete surgical resection AND completed ≥ 1 course of adjuvant chemotherapy with a 5-fluoroucacil-based regimen within the past 60-180 days
• Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) ≤ 5 μg/L
• Current physical activity levels do not meet the recommended guidelines (≥ 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous or ≥ 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity/week) as calculated using the Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire (LTEQ)
• No metastatic or locally recurrent disease as assessed by chest x-ray or CT scan

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status 0-1
• WBC > 3,000/mm³ OR absolute granulocyte count ≥ 1,000/mm³
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
• Hemoglobin ≥ 100 g/L
• Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Total bilirubin normal
• Alkaline phosphatase < 2.5 times ULN
• AST or ALT < 1.5 times ULN
• Not pregnant or planning to become pregnant within the next 3 years
• Able (i.e., sufficiently fluent) and willing to effectively communicate with the physical activity consultant affiliated with the originating cancer center
• Able (i.e., sufficiently fluent in English or French) and willing to complete the patient-reported outcome questionnaires, social determinants of exercise measurement, health economics, and physical activity questionnaires and logs
• Able to complete the baseline exercise test
• No significant comorbid conditions precluding participation in a physical activity program as determined by the investigator
• Likely to participate in a physical activity program, as assessed by the investigator
• No history of other malignancies, except adequately treated nonmelanoma skin cancer, curatively treated in situ cancer of the cervix, other solid tumors, Hodgkin lymphoma, or non-Hodgkin lymphoma curatively treated with no evidence of disease for > 5 years

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• No concurrent treatment with additional chemotherapy or radiation
• No concurrent treatment with any medications deemed by the investigator as likely to preclude participation in a physical activity program
• No concurrent anticancer treatment including chemotherapy, biological, or targeted agents