Learning to Exercise With COPD

With the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) comes a number of questions and concerns. What is the most effective way to quit smoking? How will COPD affect my body and overall health? How will I remain active and retain a normal exercise routine with the changes taking place to my breathing?

Luckily, exercise is one thing that does not need to be completely removed from your weekly routine. According to the Denver Post, though the breathlessness that comes with COPD may make even the simplest daily activities an effort, exercise is one area of life that can be tweaked to fit your lifestyle and benefit your overall wellbeing.

Aside from helping you stay slim, exercise is a well-known solution for strengthening the heart, improving blood circulation, keeping blood pressure in check, strengthening bones, staying mentally sharp and improving sleep quality and energy levels. Exercise and activity are also crucial to reclaim, maintain and enjoy your life.

A leading respiratory hospital, the National Jewish Health, suggests that COPD patients begin their exercise program by first learning how to coordinate breathing with daily activities. By strengthening the postural muscles and those muscles used for the basics of life, such as standing, sitting and walking, these activities become easier. From there, endurance training can begin and cardiopulmonary and cardiovascular exercise can be incorporated into your routine. The goal here is to build endurance for activities such as walking, golfing and dancing.

Stretching and flexibility programs such as yoga and Pilates are also excellent activities to enhance coordination and breathing.

“Coordinating breath with activities is key to returning to an active and balanced life. It is all about energy management and breathing management,” said Bobby Sherman, certified recreational therapist and assistant director of rehabilitation services of National Jewish.

Sherman also notes that people with COPD should not be dissuaded by fitness magazines that promote 30-minute workouts, five days a week. Rather, they should start at whatever level they are at and build from there, one minute at a time.

Though exercise may seem difficult with a COPD diagnosis, without it the vicious cycle of breathlessness and isolation recurs.