Simple Moves To Keep You Healthy
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) makes it difficult to breathe. It can also cause you to limit your physical activities. Regular exercise can improve your heart, lungs and muscles, and it can help you breathe easier and feel better.
Talk to your doctor about starting any exercise program. Your doctor may tell you to take medicine before you exercise.
Exercises for COPD
Try these simple exercises you can do at home to improve your breathing, strength and ability to move.
For this exercise program, proper posture is encouraged. Start this group of exercises with the axial extension. As your posture improves, you will automatically assume this position for your exercise routines.
Axial Extension
Improves posture.
Shoulder Blade Squeeze
Opens your chest muscles and helps improve posture.
Dowel Exercise
Strengthens your arm muscles. This exercise also will decrease your feeling of breathlessness by strengthening your breathing muscles.
Shoulder Horizontal Abduction
Strengthens your arms and shoulders.
Modified Knee Bends
Improves and maintains strength in your hips and knees.
Step Ups
Improves and maintains strength in your legs and improves your balance.
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Exercise Tips:
- While exercising, remember to inhale (breathe in) before starting the exercise.
- Exhale (breathe out) through the most difficult part of the exercise.
- Purse your lips while breathing.
- Don’t hold your breath while exercising.
- Count out loud as you do the exercises.
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This information has been approved by the National Jewish Health Rehabilitation Department, (April 2008).
