Exercising with COPD may seem like a double edged sword. On one hand,
patients with COPD may experience shortness of breath with physical
exertion. On the other hand, experts say that exercise can actually reduce
symptoms associated with COPD. Many patients with COPD hope to reduce their
symptoms of shortness of breath, but are hesitant to exercise because
exertion worsens their symptoms. Starting an exercise program when you have
COPD is no easy task, but here are some of the reasons why it may be worth
giving it a try.
1. Exercise programs improve walking distance and ability to exert oneself.
Research has shown that after going through a formal pulmonary
rehabilitation program, even patients with mild COPD are able to walk
further than they could before starting the program. The exercise program
consisted of walking, upper body strength training and stretching exercises.
The class met three times a week for 1 hour. After doing this program,
participants were able to walk further, could climb 2 flights of stairs
faster and performed better on a treadmill test. What's more is that these
benefits were seen primarily in patients with mild to moderate COPD, but
even patients with severe COPD had improvements in walking distance.
2. Exercise decreases shortness of breath and fatigue in patients with COPD.
Patients who went through an exercise program reported having less shortness
of breath and less fatigue regardless of how severe their COPD was.
Reducing these symptoms has significant benefits on quality of life for
patients.
3. Getting outside may decrease depression, improve mood, and promote
socialization. Another benefit of exercise has to due with emotional health
and functioning. In a research study of patients with mild COPD, an
exercise program showed improvements in emotional function scores.
Regardless of whether or not you have COPD, group exercise programs promote
socialization and exercise in general may decrease depression, improve mood
and increase energy. This may lead to even more motivation to get out and
about.
4. Aerobic exercise may improve cognitive function (such as the speed of
processing information). Though many factors account for cognitive decline
in patients with COPD, aerobic exercise may help improve oxygen levels in
the brain and therefore may slow the decline of mental processing that is
typically seen in older patients, especially those with COPD.
5. Patients with COPD who complete pulmonary rehabilitation programs have
less days in the hospital than those who don't complete pulmonary
rehabilitation programs. A research study of patients who completed a
pulmonary rehabilitation program showed that although the program didn't
affect how often patients were hospitalized, it did show that patients who
had done exercise had significantly less days in the hospital (only 10 days
versus 21 days in those who did not complete pulmonary rehab programs).
Some Tips About Exercising.
1. Avoid extreme weather. Patients with COPD tend to have the most
exacerbations in the winter and in hot, humid weather. Be sure to keep this
in mind before exercising outdoors.
2. Use a short-acting inhaler (eg. albuterol) 10-15 minutes before
exercising. Short acting inhalers typically take 5-15 minutes to start
working and will help open up the airways (ie. reduce bronchospasm) which
will enable patients to have less symptoms during exercise and be able to
exercise more.
3. Enroll in pulmonary rehabilitation. Ask your doctor about structured
pulmonary rehabilitation programs. Pulmonary rehab programs have been
shown time and time again to improve symptoms and quality of life for
patients with COPD. Theese programs do more than just exercise, they also
provide information about which exercises are best for people with COPD,
breathing techniques for patients with COPD, and other strategies to improve
activity. These programs are usually covered by insurance and provide
education and short-term exercise programs to get you started. However, it's
important to keep it up at home after you finish the program or else the
benefits will be lost!
4. Do cardiovascular activity at least three times a week. Work up to 30
minutes of walking at a pace that is comfortable to you, but always do so
after discussing exercise with your physician or through a pulmonary rehab
program.
5. Upper arm strength is important to help breathing, especially for
patients with COPD. Some upper arm exercises to try: bicep curls, triceps
extensions, shoulder flexion, shoulder abduction and shoulder elevation.
Try working up to 8 repetitions in 2 sets, but don't undertake any exercises
without proper instruction on the proper technique from either a clinician
or exercise specialist.
The Bottom Line:
Get out there and do some exercise, no matter how little you can manage.
Ask your clinician about pulmonary rehabilitation programs near you and at
least give it a try. You might be surprised at how much better you feel
after starting an exercise program-even if you have severe COPD. A little
extra 'umph' can go a long way.
http://copd.about.com/od/exerciseandcopd/fl/Will-Exercise-Improve-my-COPD-Symptoms-5-Reasons-To-It-a...
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