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Is exercise really good for COPD?

Posted , 12 users are following.

Grete
Grete

We are frequently told that for people with COPD exercise is important - it is supposed to strengthen the existing lung tissue - but I wonder, can it do more harm than good?

Damaged lungs, whatever the cause, do not repair themselves but why does COPD become worse?   No one seems to have the answer.

I was an asthmatic child and after smoking ten cigarettes a day in my twenties, was diagnosed with COPD.   I haven't touched a cigarette for over 40 years.   I am now in my late seventies.

Always active, I used to go ballroom dancing three or four nights a week; have always loved gardening and long walks.   I have also practised GENTLE yoga exercises and deep breathing.     Fresh fruit and vegetables, fish and wholewheat bread with some red meat  have been the basis of my diet.   

Now in my retirement years, living by the sea (pure air), I have walked along the beach every day, while trying to keep up the gardening etc.  This has all become more and more difficult and over the years, my lungs have become steadily worse, in spite of my efforts to do the right things.    

So have the experts got it wrong?    In the early stages of COPD, should we be resting more and cutting down the exercise, giving the lungs a chance to heal?        

 

0 likes, 27 replies

27 Replies

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  • eyes
    eyes Grete

    Posted

    please go see your doctor - it does sound like an infection and can be sorted.....Pat
  • tartanlady
    tartanlady Grete

    Posted

    Hi Grete, Ask your doctor to refer you for pulmonary rehab and they will access you to exercises that will suit you and they also will gve you loads of advice. I've already done my pulmonary rehab and now I go to an exercise group once a week for an hour,nothing strenous but I've never felt better,my last check up showed my lung function had gone up a bit, i've not needed my ventolin in months now, You need help with what exercises you can do as maybe you are trying too hard but please don't give up as that's the worse thing you can do. Here's a video on pulmonary rehab: Keep me posted how you get on. Keep positive and take care.

    http://youtu.be/4GyFnei_A24

    • Grete
      Grete tartanlady

      Posted

      Thanks for your concern and your helpful reply, also for being so kind as to add a video.I have watched this with interest.I am tempted to go back to my doctor but he (they) never seem interested and simply hand out an extra inhaler. Some years ago I asked about Pulmonary Rehabilitation and my doctor pulled a wry face and said, "You're not bad enough."He also told me that even in a healthy person, lungs begin to deteriorate after the age of thirty.(Cheerful Charly) At the moment I think I have lost confidence.I may see if I can have a word with the COPD nurse. You may be right - perhaps I have tried too hard and am disappointed with the outcome.

      There is nothing so exhilarating as when one's lung function goes up. It makes you feel so positive and hopeful. Good wishes and thank you again.

  • tartanlady
    tartanlady Grete

    Posted

    Hi again Grete, I think that's the best thing to do is speak to your pulmonary nurse as it was mine that got me there. I'm very lucky as the doc I see knows everything about COPD and he gives you straight answers. You should change your doctor as that's a load of rubbish saying your not bad enough.I hope your nurse will listen to you.Good Luck and keep me posted on how it goes for you.
    • Grete
      Grete tartanlady

      Posted

      'Thought I would keep you posted.   I saw the pulmonary nurse today for the annual spirometary test.  I remembered what you said and asked about pulmonary rehab. exercises.  She thought it was a good idea and will refer me for early next year.      Thanks again.

      Grete

  • jptown
    jptown Grete

    Posted

    Hello Grete...I have spent so much time researching alternative therapies because of my own health challenges with copd.  One important thing to look for is the possibility of mold toxicity. This problem is almost never diagnosed by doctors,  but is responsible for many very serious respiratory illnesses. Mold is often hidden behind drywall(sheetrock) and since it cannot be seen, it continues to grow. It actually penetrates through drywall (sheetrock) and reacts with paint and wallpapaper paste. Mold releases a deadly aflatoxin into the air. Even though you cannot see it, it finds its way into the rooms of your home or office. You can obtain mold test kits. Do that first.  Next, as we get older, and more sensitive, and immune systems less powerful, and our female hormones no longer helping us, we have to be more careful about what we eat. Anything that is non-organic can pose a problem, even if we think we are eating healthy foods. GMO foods have been directly linked to allergies & asthma. Wheat is sprayed with chemicals before harvest to make it dry out more quickly. We are eating those chemicals. Only eat ORGANIC, NON-GMO foods. Yes, this is a real challenge, but you can make the changes gradually.  REFINED WHITE SUGAR...another problem. I am addicted to sugar like so many others. But, it is very damaging to our bodies is too many ways to list here. Start reducing your sugar consumption a little more each day. Eat no foods containing MSG, food dyes, preservatives, or anything on the label that you don't know what it is. NEVER eat fast foods....never.   I found a brand of air purifier developed by NASA for the space stations. It is called Air Oasis. I have 2 of these units in my home to purify the air. SLEEP is important...the body needs to rest and heal itself between 10pm and 5am...so getting to bed too late, and not getting enough rest is damaging.  Food supplements: Omega 3 helps reduce inflammation, as does GLA. Beta Carotene is essential for mucosal linings in all our organs including the bronchi / lungs. The quality of supplements is EXTREMELY important. Too many brands today have been recalled because of contaminants found in the vitamin pills. Too many brands print ingredient labels which do not accurately describe what is in the pills. There is too much junk on the market. You must use the highest quality supplements with clinical research published in medical journals.

    And EXERCISE...I have found from my own experience that exercise is so important for my lungs to clear out mucus. When I am more idle, more congestion accumulates in my lungs and is difficult to get out. When I exercise more, my lungs clear out much more easily. I also learned recently that as fitness increases a greater percentage of alveoli open up...this is SO CRITICAL because it is the alveoli, (which are the little sacs at the ends of the brochi branches) that are responsible for the exchange of oxygen into the bloodstream..So, clogged bronchi mean alveoli cannot do their job...resulting in fatigue, difficulty thinking, and all body functions that rely on oxygen. I was so worried that too many of my alveoli were functionless until I learned that by increasing my exercise and fitness, I can cause more alveoli to open up and increase the capacity for this essential gaseous exchange to take place. Build up gradually in your exercise program. It is so essential to good health and longevity. Try to live in an area where the air is clean. I am having to move from Louisville, KY area in the USA because it is the worst city in America for allergies, asthma, mold & pollens. Sometimes we have to make drastic changes to save our lives. But we only get one life. It's worth the effort to preserve it!

    Best of health to you! Jan 

    • Grete
      Grete jptown

      Posted

      Hello Jan

      I have just re-read your post and I agree with everything you say.  However, we do live in the 'modern' world and try as we might it is not easy to avoid chemicals in our environment.   That is, unless we are able to detach ourselves from everyday life and virtually live in a bubble.    

      I discovered years ago when I was a child  that mould spores brought on asthma attacks,  especially when we used to holiday in a caravan.  The damp wood exuded the spores and I suffered really badly.  Also, there was no treatment for asthma then and no inhalers, so I simply had to gasp for breath through the attacks.  So on the theory of mould causing lung complaints, well I can certainly vouch for that.  How we avoid this now in every day life is another question.   Do we not enter certain buildings for example?   Or obsessively carry test kits around?

      I have now started to buy more organic foods but here in the UK they are much more expensive than mass produced foods.  Also, I eat gluten free, so no wheat.   However, that doesn't stop me from having a chocolate biscuit if I am offered one by a friend.    With regard to your comments about supplements, I am not so sure.  We should obtain all our needs from a good, natural diet.  

      I was a child during World War Two in the UK.   Dad grew all our vegetables, so no additives.   We kept chickens for fresh eggs. All food was rationed or unobtainable.   Sugar was scarce - so no sweets or chocolate.  Ready prepared meals were unknown.  There were no soft drinks or colas.   Apart from being mentally stressed, you could say we had a very healthy diet.  However, I still had asthma every summer and there was much serious illness, chest complaints included.    Antibiotics were only just being introduced so many people simply died of infections.

      I also agree with you that where you live is important.   If you read my original post I live by the sea.   Traffic fumes and polluted air all contribute to having lung complaints.

      With regard to exercise - from the helpful and encouraging posts I have received - the census of opinion is that exercise is good for the lungs.   (I continue my daily walks etc.)

      Having said all that, I feel that while we each do what we can to help ourselves, there is a danger of becoming paranoid and anxiety taking over, which in itself can be harmful to breathing.  

      Good luck with your positive and practical approach to your illness.

      Grete. 

    • jptown
      jptown Grete

      Posted

      Hi again Grete...my last 2 posts got deleted...maybe because I mentioned specific websites or names...I'm not sure....but I will have to be more general I guess.  Anyway, I discovered something recently that has helped me do better. It is a method of breathing where you learn to breathe less and conserve co2 in the lungs and body which is supposed to be beneficial for us. One way is its relaxing effect, like when we are told to breathe into a paper bag when hyperventilating or having difficulty breathing. We are inhaling our exhaled co2.  Exercise increases co2 but this method also teaches you how to breathe during exercise so you don't lose all the valuable co2 that's been generated by the exercise. So, I tried this buteyko method of breathing and after just a couple of days I've been noticing that I have been coughing less, and have been able to reduce my daily use of bronkaid almost in half! 

      So, you can find videos online discussing and demonstrating this method of breathing, and find an instructor that seems most helpful to you. I found one that was good for me, but I don't think I'm allowed to mention her name here. So far I've seen 6 of her videos and they're only between 2-6 minutes long so you can learn alot in a short time. You can also watch a full seminar by an Australian fellow that describes the science behind it.

      One other thing....I don't carry mold test kits everywhere....but do test where you live, or anyplace where you have to spend alot of time breathing indoor air. I tested my home and my workplace. My workplace as it turned out was a huge problem. So, it helped me pinpoint my most significant trigger. I hope this helps you too!   Jan

      My dad is 98 years old, and in pretty good health with a really sharp mind, and a positive attitude...so....70 is not old in his opinion and I tend to agree with him! 

       

    • Grete
      Grete jptown

      Posted

      I did hear about the buteyko method some time ago but did not look into it at that time. Actually I thought it was just for asthmatics where there is no lung damage. I do have asthma but also copd.In view of what you say I will take another look online at buteyko.Anything to improve our lung function. Thank you.

      Thanks also to your Dad.I feel younger today.

      Grete

  • mike1964
    mike1964 Grete

    Posted

    Hi Grete, sorry to hear that things are becoming more harder for you, yes like you i also have copd, stage 3, and was told to do more excercise, they must be joking i can hardly walk let along do anything else, yes i will peel a few spuds, and do the odd job around the house, but thats it, but my consultant wanted me to go out for walks etc to help my lungs, i told her how can that be when they are so damaged and not repairable, she said it will help your lungs to strenghten and keep you fit, i said thats all well and good, but what can you give me for my breathing then, when i am out and have no oxygen with me, and if i could go for a walk and gasping for air what do i have nothing, she said i will see you in Jan 2015
    • ladyjack51
      ladyjack51 mike1964

      Posted

      Hi Mike1964

      Lol...I'm trying to find the humor in their lack of understanding but it's not easy is it. I can only tell you this...I felt the same way but the Spiriva and the daily steroid puffer has improved my breathing so much...and i was told I will be on Oxygen 24/7 when released from the hospital. I haven't even turned on my O2 machine in many days. But it's only bc of the medicine. I know they give basically 2  of these same medicines to all COPD patients...how long have you been on yours and is it helping you significantly as well? 

  • morgan_amiko
    morgan_amiko Grete

    Posted

    I'd still say some exercises are better than none. Exercise will definitely help your lungs to fight. Not overdoing it is important as well. smile
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