Exercising with COPD can seem daunting, and your motivation to exercise can change from day to day. This is normal! Some days you might feel ready and excited for physical activity. Other days you might think you are too tired, too busy, or too sick, and you may be worried about feeling short of breath.
On days when exercise seems intimidating, remember that every little bit of physical activity helps improve your overall health. This is because physical inactivity contributes to deconditioning, which is when your muscles start to become weaker. This makes doing activities more difficult and increases your shortness of breath.
Regular exercise prevents deconditioning. And while it doesn’t reverse COPD, it can help improve your quality of life. Among other things, exercise can:
You can start out with a few minutes a day and gradually increase it as you get stronger and fitter. You might be surprised about how much you move already! Through the Wellinks program, you’ll be able to identify and work toward goals that are right for you.
Your Wellinks care team will help you design a program that is safe and appropriate for you. The basic components of any exercise program are:
In any exercise program, it’s important to start out slow and gentle. As your body gets used to the program, you can increase your time and intensity.
Congratulate yourself for engaging in your health! And remember that you are not alone in this journey. Your Wellinks care team will help you get started.
As a first step, you can watch these Wellinks videos about how to use your pulse oximeter during exercise and how to exercise safely.
Your Wellinks care team will also help you fill out your weekly exercise tracker and program planner. These documents are a great resource to help you stay on track and meet your fitness goals.
If you want to start moving before then, here are a couple videos of simple balance, warm up, and cool down exercises you can do:
Exercising with COPD can seem daunting, and your motivation to exercise can change from day to day. This is normal! Some days you might feel ready and excited for physical activity. Other days you might think you are too tired, too busy, or too sick, and you may be worried about feeling short of breath.
On days when exercise seems intimidating, remember that every little bit of physical activity helps improve your overall health. This is because physical inactivity contributes to deconditioning, which is when your muscles start to become weaker. This makes doing activities more difficult and increases your shortness of breath.
Regular exercise prevents deconditioning. And while it doesn’t reverse COPD, it can help improve your quality of life. Among other things, exercise can:
You can start out with a few minutes a day and gradually increase it as you get stronger and fitter. You might be surprised about how much you move already! Through the Wellinks program, you’ll be able to identify and work toward goals that are right for you.
Your Wellinks care team will help you design a program that is safe and appropriate for you. The basic components of any exercise program are:
In any exercise program, it’s important to start out slow and gentle. As your body gets used to the program, you can increase your time and intensity.
Congratulate yourself for engaging in your health! And remember that you are not alone in this journey. Your Wellinks care team will help you get started.
As a first step, you can watch these Wellinks videos about how to use your pulse oximeter during exercise and how to exercise safely.
Your Wellinks care team will also help you fill out your weekly exercise tracker and program planner. These documents are a great resource to help you stay on track and meet your fitness goals.
If you want to start moving before then, here are a couple videos of simple balance, warm up, and cool down exercises you can do:
