Abstract Purpose A cancer diagnosis is commonly associated with a decline in patient’s life satisfaction and more pessimistic expectations about the future. The identification of strategies to improve life satisfaction in patients with cancer is of great interest to health practitioners since it may be associated with a better prognosis of cancer and higher survival rates. Previous meta-analyses and reviews concluded that exercise could significantly improve health-related quality of life in this population, but the effects of exercise on life satisfaction are still not well-known. This review aims to analyse the effects of exercise programs on life satisfaction in people with cancer and individuals who have overcome cancer. Methods The present systematic review and meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A thorough search of databases including Web of Science and PubMed/MEDLINE was carried out. Six studies (535 participants) in which the effect of an exercise program was compared to a non-exercise program control condition in patients with cancer were considered eligible. A subsequent meta-analysis was performed using the random effects model to calculate the standardized mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results Exercise intervention improved satisfaction with life compared with a control condition (SMD = 1.28; p = 0.02 with a 95% CI of 0.22 to 2.34). Conclusion Exercise could be considered an effective tool to improve life satisfaction in patients with cancer. Hence, professionals might consider the possibility of integrating physical exercise into strategies aimed at enhancing the low life satisfaction often experienced by patients. PROSPERO CRD42023438146