Many of patients with lung disease want to be able to get some exercise in the hope that it will make them feel better by improving their lung function. This is an understandable assumption. Patients will see ads for pulmonary rehabilitation and be referred by their physicians for this treatment. Patients who undergo a full program of pulmonary rehabilitation will usually experience improved performance with activity, usually walking.
Some patients will try to improve their activity level on their own and I think this is a good thing but should be done with understanding and safety. Often patients will try to start a walking program either outside or on a treadmill. The mistake that is made is the desire to push themselves to do progressively more distance with each session.
If you are one of these folks you need to know that exercise does not improve lung function but rather helps to improve your cardiovascular endurance and muscle strength, thereby improving your sense of wellbeing with the activity. The key to improving activity levels in patients with severe lung disease is not the intensity of the training but the quantity. In this regard, for the do it yourselfers in the group I recommend interval training. This means walking for a tolerable period of time and then resting and walking again for that period of time. Doing several repetitions in this manner will allow you to walk further and improve function without as much respiratory distress.
Happy walking!
