Objective To understand the influencing factors of physical activity in colorectal cancer patients with permanent enterostomy and to provide reference for targeted intervention. Methods A semi-structured face-to-face interview was conducted on 12 patients with colorectal cancer who had undergone permanent enterostomy, and Braun′s thematic analysis method was used to analyze the data and extract the themes. Results Five themes and 12 sub-themes were identified: self-cognition, behavioral motivation, symptom burden, stoma self-care ability and social support. Conclusion Subjective, objective and social factors affect patients′ physical activities. Medical staff need to strengthen assessment, identify barriers and take interventions to boost patients′ participation in physical activity, so as to improve their quality of life.