My staff often asks if I have a theme for the year when I write these articles. I have many themes which play themselves out in the articles I have written. Stop smoking, get a diagnosis, and listen to your physician are all messages that resonate in my
articles. In the office I frequently talk to patients about the need to stay as physically fit as possible. Of course, many of my patients are limited by their lung disease and the shortness of breath that it causes.
However, staying fit is still important even if you have an impairment. In fact, it may be more important to those patients afflicted with COPD and other physically limiting conditions. The subject of fitness has been looked at from several perspectives. I want you to consider these facts. If you are older than 75 and are admitted to the hospital, your muscles weaken quickly even if you were only in the hospital for several days. Patients who were poorly conditioned when they were admitted often must go to a rehab setting before going home, and some who were critically ill often cannot
return home at all.
Staying fit does not require a lot of equipment (you are not training for the Olympics). You need to be dedicated and reasonable. Internal training at low levels of exertion is often enough. Formal wellness programs can be tried but be sure you stick with the program. Staying fit and functional will mean fewer problems no matter what you diagnosis.
