BREATHE IN.
Breathe out.
Most of us take this life-sustaining
rhythm for granted. But breathing isn’t
always easy for people with a lung
disease—particularly if they have
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD).
A person with COPD may feel short of
breath during daily activities—such as
bathing, dressing and preparing meals—
and especially during exercise, accord-
ing to the American College of Chest
Physicians.
Pulmonary rehabilitation can help.
Trough exercise training and educa-
tional programs, pulmonary rehab helps
people with COPD stay more active,
control their symptoms and improve their
day-to-day lives.
Steps to live stronger
Components of a pulmonary rehab pro-
gram may include:
Exercise training.
Most pulmonary
rehab takes place in a hospital outpatient
setting, where exercise training is medi-
cally supervised.
An individual exercise program can
teach you what exercises will beneft you
most, as well as how often, how long and
how intensely to do them.
Lower-body exercises, such as walking or
riding a stationary bike, can help strengthen
leg muscles and improve fexibility.
Upper-body training can help increase
the endurance and strength of the arm
and shoulder muscles. Tese muscles
provide support to the rib cage and
can help improve breathing.
Don’t be discouraged if you have
to start slowly. As your muscles gain
strength, you’ll be able to move more
easily and for longer periods of time.
Soon you’ll be able to do daily tasks
with less oxygen demand.
A PROGRAM
THAT WORKS
FOR YOU
If you have
chronic obstructive pulmo-
nary disease or other breath-
ing problems, ask your doctor
about a referral to LifeFit
Wellness Services’ Pulmonary
Rehab Program. Our rehab
team—which includes nurses,
dietitians, exercise specialists
and respiratory therapists
overseen by a pulmonary spe-
cialist—will work together to
develop a treatment program
that’s right for you.
With their help, you can
learn how to:
✓
Manage breathing
difculties.
✓
Function more
independently.
✓
Maintain healthy behav-
iors, such as eating healthy
foods, exercising and not
smoking.
American College of Chest Physicians
Learn more
about LifeFit
Wellness
Services’
Pulmonary
Rehab Program
by calling us at
843-522-5830.
Some people with severe breathing
problems may also beneft from exercises
to improve respiratory muscle function.
Your pulmonary rehab team will let you
know if this is right for you.
Social and psychological support.
Rehab programs can also help address
the emotional stresses of having a lung
disease.
Some people with COPD may have
depression, anxiety, or a negative body
image or lack social support.
Group and individual counseling can:
➜
➜
Teach you relaxation skills.
➜
➜
Encourage you to talk about your
feelings.
➜
➜
Teach you how to give and receive emo-
tional support from others.
Patient education.
Tis helps you
understand more about your disease
and how to manage it. Many topics are
covered and may include information
about:
➜
➜
Medications.
➜
➜
Oxygen therapy.
➜
➜
Diet, nutrition and weight
management.
➜
➜
When to seek medical help.
Whenbreathing
becomes hard
PULMONARY REHABILITATION
22
Health Scene • www.bmhsc.org