Exercise and Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Lynn Sieben RPFT

Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program

University of Minnesota

 

Muscle weakness

Inactivity(avoiding activity)

 

Increased effort to do work

Decreased work capacity and

increased shortness of breath

People with lung conditions are often caught in a vicious circle of deconditioning

 

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Physical Activity“Lifestyle Exercise”

Any activity that requires bodily movement. Some activity is better than none, more is

better than some. The surgeon general’s report recommends

that we accumulate a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity on most if not all days of the week.

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Be Active and Stay Active Go for a walk Take the stairs

instead of the elevator

Follow a small child or toddler

Park the car further from the door

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Be Active and Stay Active Do yard work or

gardening

Walk the dog

Clean out storage areas or the basement

Go golfing, shopping, or dancing

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How Many Steps Should I be Taking?

2,000 –4,000 steps/day indicate sedentary lifestyle.

4,000 – 7,000 steps/day indicate moderate activity level.

7,000 – 10,000 steps/day indicate active lifestyle.

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Aerobic Exercise is… Continuous, rhythmic, repetitive

exercise that uses large muscles of the body.

Some examples are biking, walking, swimming, dancing, rowing or cross country skiing.

Recommended 3 to 6 days per week for the rest of your life.

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Aerobic Exercise…. How long and how hard?

It is recommended to reach a goal of 20-60 minutes. Initially this may need to be done in shorter bouts several times per day.

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Aerobic Exercise…. How long and how hard?

To exercise comfortably you should:• Keep your “shortness of breath” rating no

higher than a 4.

• Keep RPE scale between 3 and 4.

• Keep your oxygen level > 88%.

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Other Important Tips

If you use a fast acting inhaler be sure to take it before exercise.

You may need to use oxygen during exercise. Oxygen will help your muscles work more efficiently.

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Other Important Tips

To help with anxiety and breathlessness use pursed lip breathing and diaphragmatic breathing.

You are encouraged to use a walker, shopping cart or wheel chair if it allows you to be more active.

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It is important to: Warm-up

• Prepares the body for exercise Cool-down

• Prevents muscle soreness and stiffness

• Less chance of lightheadedness and irregular heart beats

• Reduces bronchospasm

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Also important…. Stretching

Muscle Conditioning

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Indications of Exercise Intolerance

Extreme fatigue Lightheadedness/Dizziness Severe muscle cramping Chest pain or pressure Severe joint pain Coughing Excessive or sudden onset of sweating or

nausea

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Aerobic Exercise Facts It takes 2 to 3 weeks to begin improving your

fitness level. It takes 6 weeks to 3 months to achieve

significant improvement. It takes 3 to 6 months to achieve maximum

fitness. In only 2 days of inactivity, you start losing

endurance. Much of the exercise benefit will be lost within

2 weeks of inactivity.

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Staying on Track Look for ways to increase activity and

exercise. Set specific and measurable short and

long term goals. Think of possible barriers and make a

plan. Seek help from others. Be creative and have fun!

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