Pulmonary Rehabilitation for COPD
Shortness of breath often limits what people with COPD -- or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) -- can do. When ordinary activities like walking or climbing stairs become difficult, everyday life with COPD gets harder.
Pulmonary rehabilitation for COPD includes a program of exercises that helps people build their physical fitness. Many pulmonary rehab centers also teach people breathing techniques and strategies for living better with COPD.
COPD: Ways to Avoid Weight Loss
Breathing is hard work if you have COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Your inflamed lungs and partially blocked airways make it a struggle to get air in and out. That effort to breathe burns a lot of calories -- way more than someone with healthy lungs, says Albert Rizzo, MD, chief of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Christiana Care Health System.As a result, you could lose too much weight. And if you fall below a healthy weight, that makes it more likely your immune system...
Read the COPD: Ways to Avoid Weight Loss article > >
The most important part of any pulmonary rehabilitation program for COPD is exercise. All pulmonary rehab centers offer exercises to improve physical fitness. Some centers provide an exercise program only. Other centers provide access to specialists, education, and psychological support, in addition to exercises.
Pulmonary rehab exercises include:
Lower-body exercises: Most centers provide a regimen of exercises that centers on leg workouts. These exercises vary from simple walking on a treadmill or around a track to more intense stair climbing. Most of the proven benefits of pulmonary rehab come from studies in people doing leg exercises.
Upper-body exercises: The muscles in the upper body are important for breathing, as well as daily activities. Arm and chest exercises might include turning a crank against resistance, or simply repetitively lifting the arms against gravity.
Exercises for breathing muscles: Breathing through a mouthpiece against resistance during pulmonary rehab may increase the strength of the breathing muscles. These exercises are infrequently used, but may be helpful for people with very weak breathing muscles.
Strength training: Most pulmonary rehab exercises concentrate on building endurance. Adding strength training, like lifting weights, has been shown to increase muscle strength and bulk, as well.
Many pulmonary rehab centers offer group or one-on-one education sessions to help people learn to better manage their COPD. Teaching sessions generally focus on:
Studies show that people who learn about their COPD and treatment plan are better able to recognize symptoms and take appropriate action. However, education is no substitute for regular exercise as part of a pulmonary rehab program.
Pulmonary Rehabilitation for COPD
In this article
- Pulmonary Rehab Exercise
- Education in Pulmonary Rehab for COPD
- Psychological Support in Pulmonary Rehab
- Benefits of Pulmonary Rehab for COPD
- Pulmonary Rehab Guidelines for COPD
Shortness of breath often limits what people with COPD -- or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) -- can do. When ordinary activities like walking or climbing stairs become difficult, everyday life with COPD gets harder.
Pulmonary rehabilitation for COPD includes a program of exercises that helps people build their physical fitness. Many pulmonary rehab centers also teach people breathing techniques and strategies for living better with COPD.
Recommended Related to COPD
COPD: Ways to Avoid Weight Loss
Breathing is hard work if you have COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Your inflamed lungs and partially blocked airways make it a struggle to get air in and out. That effort to breathe burns a lot of calories -- way more than someone with healthy lungs, says Albert Rizzo, MD, chief of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Christiana Care Health System.As a result, you could lose too much weight. And if you fall below a healthy weight, that makes it more likely your immune system...
Read the COPD: Ways to Avoid Weight Loss article > >
Pulmonary Rehab Exercise
The most important part of any pulmonary rehabilitation program for COPD is exercise. All pulmonary rehab centers offer exercises to improve physical fitness. Some centers provide an exercise program only. Other centers provide access to specialists, education, and psychological support, in addition to exercises.
Pulmonary rehab exercises include:
Lower-body exercises: Most centers provide a regimen of exercises that centers on leg workouts. These exercises vary from simple walking on a treadmill or around a track to more intense stair climbing. Most of the proven benefits of pulmonary rehab come from studies in people doing leg exercises.
Upper-body exercises: The muscles in the upper body are important for breathing, as well as daily activities. Arm and chest exercises might include turning a crank against resistance, or simply repetitively lifting the arms against gravity.
Exercises for breathing muscles: Breathing through a mouthpiece against resistance during pulmonary rehab may increase the strength of the breathing muscles. These exercises are infrequently used, but may be helpful for people with very weak breathing muscles.
Strength training: Most pulmonary rehab exercises concentrate on building endurance. Adding strength training, like lifting weights, has been shown to increase muscle strength and bulk, as well.
Education in Pulmonary Rehab for COPD
Many pulmonary rehab centers offer group or one-on-one education sessions to help people learn to better manage their COPD. Teaching sessions generally focus on:
- Understanding your medication treatment plan. This includes using inhalers the right way and on a consistent schedule.
- How to understand and use oxygen therapy.
- Quitting smoking and staying away from cigarettes after quitting.
- Eating a healthy diet.
Studies show that people who learn about their COPD and treatment plan are better able to recognize symptoms and take appropriate action. However, education is no substitute for regular exercise as part of a pulmonary rehab program.
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