COPD and Exercise: How to Benefit from Staying Active

Exercising is one of the best things you can do for your heart and lungs. It’s also an important part of adapting to and improving life with COPD. Exercise can be safe and enjoyable for people with COPD. The keys are to discuss an exercise regimen with your medical provider, listen to your body and participate in the types of physical activity that offer the most benefits. 

Why COPD and Exercise Go Together

It’s important to understand what exercise can and can’t do for people with COPD. Exercise can’t cure or reverse COPD. It can, however, help you alleviate symptoms and maintain overall fitness. Benefits of exercise include:

• Better mental health. COPD can increase your risk for anxiety and depression, but exercise can help protect against them.
• Higher energy levels. You’re more likely to have energy for everyday activities and things you love when you exercise.
• Improved shortness of breath. At first, you may hesitate to exercise out of concern of triggering shortness of breath. This is understandable, and it’s important not to push yourself beyond your limits. However, if you stick with exercise over the long term, your respiratory muscles will grow stronger, and you’ll develop a higher activity level. As a result, you may experience less shortness of breath.
• Physical fitness. Not exercising can lead your body to become deconditioned, meaning your muscles are less able to handle activity. This can affect your mobility and independence. Exercising can help you maintain them.
• Stress management. Stress can fuel COPD and vice versa. Exercise can help you manage both. 

Just Your Types: Beneficial Exercises with COPD

What are the best exercises for people with COPD? No single activity is superior, but certain types of exercise are especially beneficial, including:

• Aerobic exercise. Activities such as walking, riding a stationary bike, and water aerobics strengthen key muscle groups, including those in the heart and lungs, and build stamina. Aerobic exercise can also help you breathe more efficiently.
• Strength training. Use weights or resistance bands to bolster muscles in your upper and lower body. This can help make everyday activities easier.

As for how often and at what intensity you should exercise, aim for 20 to 30 minutes of moderate exercise three or four days per week, according to the American Lung Association. During moderate exercise, your heart rate increases, but you’re able to carry on a conversation. You can use the following Rate of Perceived Exertion and Rate of Perceived Dyspnea scales to help you monitor your exertion and shortness of breath. You should aim to exercise between a 3-6 on both scales.

Getting Started with Exercise with COPD

Before starting an exercise program, discuss it with your primary care provider or pulmonologist. They can determine a safe level of exercise for you. They may also refer you for pulmonary rehabilitation, an exercise and education program where you can learn how to get active safely and effectively while living with COPD.

Once your medical provider gives the green light to exercise, it’s important to take steps to start off on the right foot, including:

• Choose an activity you enjoy. You’re more likely to make exercise a habit if you look forward to it, so pick an activity you’re excited about.
• Find an exercise buddy. Getting active with another person, such as a family member or a friend from a COPD support group, helps you stay motivated, engaged and accountable.
• Listen to your body. Don’t exercise if you feel weak, dizzy or nauseated, have a fever, or experience chest pain. Stop exercising if shortness of breath worsens.
• Start slowly. Don’t try to meet the weekly exercise recommendation right away. Instead, work up to it over time by gradually increasing the frequency and duration of your workouts. Start with five minutes and gradually work your way up to 20-30 minutes. You can also break up the time and do five minutes in the morning and another five minutes in the afternoon. Whatever works best for you.
• Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water to reduce the risk of dehydration, which can make it harder to breathe. Avoid coffee, sodas and other drinks that dehydrate you.
• Warm up and cool down. Always do a warm-up to start and cool down to finish. Prior to starting your exercise, you should do some light movement, such as marching in place or a slow walk for a couple of minutes, to get your body ready for exercise.  Always finish your exercise by cooling down with some stretching. This will help to prevent injury from occurring. 
• Watch the weather, pollen and air quality reports. Don’t exercise outdoors when pollen levels are high, which can trigger allergies and exacerbate COPD. Likewise, avoid outdoor activities when the air quality is poor or the weather is cold. Both scenarios can cause COPD flare-ups.

The Importance of Pursed Lip Breathing and Supplemental Oxygen

When you have COPD, how you breathe during exercise can help you stay safe and get the most out of the experience. Pursed lip breathing, which involves inhaling slowly through the nose and exhaling through pursed lips, can help you manage shortness of breath during exercise. Also, during the most strenuous parts of exercising, focus on breathing. Always exhale on exertion. You should breathe out during the most strenuous part of the exercise to help manage shortness of breath.  For example, when lifting weights, breathe in prior to starting, then exhale as you lift and lower the weight.  

If you use supplemental oxygen, keep using it when you exercise, and don’t exercise if you’ve run out of oxygen. Since oxygen is a medication, you do not want to adjust your oxygen flow unless prescribed by your physician. Your medical provider can recommend a higher oxygen flow rate for exercise if necessary.

Activities to Avoid with COPD

Certain exercises or activities may not be advisable for you. That’s another great reason to speak with your primary care provider or pulmonologist before jumping into activity. They can let you know if you should avoid certain exercises.

Don’t engage in vigorous exercise unless your medical provider gives permission. Examples of vigorous exercise include running and playing tennis.

For many people, using the stairs at work or home is a good way to fit in small amounts of exercise during the day. For people with COPD, however, taking the stairs can cause difficulty breathing. If you have to take the stairs, go slowly, rest when needed and use pursed lip breathing. Remember to always exhale during the exertion. Inhale prior to going up the stairs, exhale when stepping up. Take it slow and rest between each step. 

Do housework when you’re at your most energetic. Use a grabbing tool to limit bending and overstretching, and sit to do chores when you can. Don’t use ammonia or other cleaning chemicals that might trigger a COPD flare-up.

Whether you’re breaking a sweat with exercise or checking chores off your to-do list at home, taking simple safety precautions can help you avoid flare-ups and enjoy the best quality of life possible. That can help ensure that COPD is just part of your life, not its defining feature.

More to Read

• COPD and Dehydration
• Build an Action Plan for COPD Flare-Ups
• COPD Warning Signs
• When to Visit Urgent Care for COPD

Medically reviewed by Karen Goodison, AVP of Clinical Operations of Respiratory/Pulmonary Care at UM Upper Chesapeake Medical Center and Megan A. Tadalan, BS, RRT, Registered Respiratory Therapist at UM Upper Chesapeake Medical Center.