Pulmonary Rehabilitation is a combination of exercise and education provided in a programme run by physiotherapists and other healthcare professionals. The course is aimed at people with chronic lung disease and their families.

The aim of pulmonary rehabilitation is to help you to self manage your condition in addition to helping you achieve and maintain your maximal level of independence and function. Pulmonary rehabilitation is recommended for people with COPD and other respiratory conditions, who consider themselves functionally disabled by their breathing condition. Pulmonary rehabilitation facilitates exercise in a controlled environment and provides education to help you control your breathing during exercise.

Aims of pulmonary rehabilitation

  • To improve your ability to exercise
  • To reduce your feelings of breathlessness
  • To improve your overall feeling of well being
  • To improve your quality of life
  • To educate you about your disease and to help you self manage your condition effectively

People often avoid exercise because it makes them breathless. Less activity and exercise leads to lower fitness levels, and increased feeling of breathlessness and muscle wasting. Doing even small amounts of exercise can break this vicious cycle of inactivity. As you continue to exercise you will actually find you can do activities without becoming as breathless.

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Eight good reasons to exercise regularly:

  1. To improve general muscle strength
    and stamina
  2. To strengthen the heart muscle
  3. To help to reduce the feelings
    of breathlessness
  4. To reduce feelings of anxiety
    and depression
  5. To improve confidence and wellbeing
  6. Improve your ability to carry out activities of daily living
  7. To gain a good habit for life
  8. To help strengthen the immune system so that your body can improve its ability to fight infection

It is important to warm up before exercising and cool down afterwards.

What is a warm up?

  • Movements designed to warm your muscles, joints and heart up in preparation for exercise
  • A warm up should mimic the exercise session
  • It shouldn’t be too hard

What is a cool down?

  • Movements designed to cool your muscles, joints and heart down after exercise.

Exercise dos

  • Take your blue inhaler about 15 minutes before you exercise if you need to and have it to hand
  • Wear sensible footwear and layers of loose clothing
  • Work to within your own limits – everyone has different exercise capabilities
  • Exercise another 3 to 5 times during the week for about 20 minutes
  • Have a drink (not alcohol) after exercise to avoid dehydration.
  • Report any adverse symptoms
  • Ask questions to get the most out of the class
  • Enjoy yourself!

Exercise don'ts!

  • Eat a large meal or drink alcohol before exercising and wait at least an hour afterwards
  • Exercise if you are unwell or have an infection.
  • Try to compete
  • Expect to be able to exercise as hard if the weather is very hot or cold
  • Give up! All your hard work will soon be lost! Your physiotherapist can advise you on continued exercise once you graduate from Pulmonary Rehabilitation.

Remember

  • You need to exercise regularly
  • Breathlessness is a normal response to exercise
  • During exercise you should aim to feel moderately breathless (BORG score 3 to 4)
  • Your physiotherapist will assess your individual capabilities and advise on exercise that is suitable for you
  • Your physiotherapist can also offer advice about your daily activities and breathing exercises.