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You are in: Home > Chest Information > Living With > Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Pulmonary Rehabilitation

• What is it?
• What are the benefits?
• What will I actually do?
• What happens apart from exercise?
• Who is eligible for PR?
• Can I still go if I'm breathless?

What is it?

• Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is a structured programme of exercise and education for people with chronic chest conditions, e.g. COPD. It is designed to improve your level of fitness and quality of life and can help you learn to cope, and live, with your condition.
• Individual programmes may differ, e.g. what exercises are used, duration of programme, amount of home exercise and how to be referred.
• Some programmes are run in hospitals but many are based in the community, where it may be easier for you to attend, such as community and leisure centres or church halls.
• Programmes are usually 6 or 8 weeks, once or twice a week, depending on where you live. You will get the most benefit by committing yourself to the whole programme.
• You will have an initial assessment which will show the coordinator how well you can tolerate increased physical activity (exercise). This will be used as a baseline to show how well you improve over the weeks.
• The assessment is likely to be in the form of a walking test. You will be asked to walk for a measured distance over a period of time. Your oxygen levels will be measured by pulse oximetry (a small device placed on your thumb will measure this). Your symptoms will be monitored and used as a baseline for future exercise.
• Every programme is organised and coordinated by a health professional – usually a nurse or a physiotherapist. They will be at every class and do your initial assessment.

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What are the benefits?

PR can lead to significant improvements in your quality of life and ability to exercise as well as improving symptoms such as breathlessness.

Lasting benefits can be maintained if you continue to keep active after the programme has finished.

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What will I actually do?

Exercise is the core of the programme and is individually 'prescribed' for you based on your original assessment. As you progress you will gradually increase what you do.

This may involve:

• 'Endurance work': such as walking or using an exercise bike
• 'Strengthening work': using other equipment, such as gentle weights, for strengthening your arms and legs.

Your coordinator will supervise you closely, ensure your safety at all times and reassure you throughout.

Classes are usually small in number. Your initial assessment will be done alone with the coordinator.

You should wear loose comfortable clothing and comfortable flat shoes such as trainers.

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What happens apart from exercise?

After each exercise session there are health education talks. These cover all aspects of lung disease, from the normal functioning of your lungs and the disease process, to coping strategies such as relaxation techniques and breathing control.

A multidisciplinary team of health professionals may be involved. The team may include physiotherapist, dietician, occupational therapist, psychologist, pharmacist, social worker, physician and specialist nursing staff.

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Who is eligible for PR?

PR should be offered to people with moderate to severe COPD. This means that you are affected by your illness enough to be aware that it is affecting your life on a daily basis. PR is not suitable if you are unable to walk, have unstable angina or have had a recent heart attack. By accepting a place you should commit yourself to completing the whole programme.

If there is a class in your area you may get referred by your GP, nurse, physiotherapist or hospital consultant. Ask one of these health professionals if you think PR could help you.

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Can I still go if I'm breathless?

Absolutely! One of the aims of the programme is to teach you how to manage your breathlessness and not to be afraid to be active because of it.

In COPD, you may be afraid that exercise will make you more breathless, or that breathlessness may be doing you some harm. This isn't true! By gradually building up the amount of exercise you do, you can help to improve your breathing. You will also strengthen your arms, legs, trunk and heart. This will in turn make everyday activities less tiring and less demanding of your energy. This reverses the so–called 'cycle of inactivity' where the less you do, the less you become able to do. It has been proven that working the lungs through exercise actually improves symptoms like breathlessness and energy loss.

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