How to Exercise with Emphysema
COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. It's the term used to describe emphysema and chronic bronchitis, conditions that result in obstruction of a person's airflow. Mild exercise can increase oxygen utilization and re-train muscles to help improve the COPD sufferer's stamina.
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Instructions
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Consult a physician before beginning this or any other exercise program. Start with the first 2 exercises, and then add others as your endurance increases.
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Warm up with breathing exercises using pursed-lip breathing. Lie flat on the floor or a firm bed, with knees bent, or sit on a firm chair. Put one hand on your chest, the other on your abdomen. As you breathe, the hand on the abdomen should rise while the other hand stays still. Inhale through your nose. Purse your lips as if you were blowing out a candle, and breathe out. Breathe in for 2 seconds, out for 4. Practice this exercise several times a day.
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Perform bicep curls. Sit on a firm chair. Hold your dumbbells or weights facing up with your elbows at your sides. Breathe in through your nose and breathe out, slowly raising the weights to shoulder height. Breathe in as you lower the weights. Repeat 5 times. When doing these exercises, always breathe in through the nose first, then breathe out when lifting the weight. Always breathe out when exerting effort, breathe in as you relax.
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Do the shoulder press. While still seated, hold the weights at shoulder level, breath in, and then extend the weights upwards while breathing out. Repeat 5 times. Repeat the bicep curls and shoulder press 5 more times.
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Exercise your legs. Sit in a firm chair, knees together. Raise one foot until your leg is straight. Lower your foot to the floor and repeat for a total of 10 times. Repeat the reps with your other foot. Standing behind the chair, raise one leg to the side 5 times. Repeat with other leg.
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Climb stairs: on an indoor or outdoor flight of stairs, step up with the right foot, breathing out. Place the other foot on the step, breathing in. Slowly repeat until you reach the top of the stairs. Go back down, repeating the process one foot at a time.
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Work your arms with a pedal exerciser. Put the pedal exerciser on a table. Place your hands in the stirrups and grasp the pedals. Pedal forward for 5 minutes, or until you tire. Reverse the movement for five minutes.
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Work your lower body with the pedal exerciser. Put the exerciser on the floor in front of a firm chair. Sit in the chair and put your feet in the stirrups. Adjust the exerciser's tension as directed in the instructions. Pedal for 5 minutes, or until you tire.
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Get out and walk. Just 20 to 30 minutes of walking 3 times a week can improve exercise capacity and endurance. Walk around the block, briskly walk around the mall and stroll with friends. Bring a CD player or MP3 player to pass the time.
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Tips & Warnings
Ask your doctor for a referral, check local hospitals or check the local YMCA/YHMA if you prefer a more formal and supervised pulmonary exercise or respiratory therapy program.
