Are you an Alpha too?  Join our Facebook group!   A1ADSupport

If you haven’t been exercising on a regular basis, your physician may recommend a pulmonary rehabilitation program. This type of program is indicated for the individual who has not participated in a regular exercise program, or for someone who is having difficulty performing activities of daily living at home and work, due to breathlessness and fatigue. Referral to a pulmonary rehabilitation program will assist in starting, re-starting, or upgrading your exercise program. Pulmonary rehabilitation programs can provide you with personal trainers, coaches, and teammates to help you achieve your activity goals.

Though each program is a little different, the key components of any pulmonary rehab program include:

  • Patient education and self-management program
  • Structured exercise training – aerobic, weight-training and stretching
  • Assessment and outcome measures
  • Plan of ongoing exercise program for continued exercise

If you can’t get into a pulmonary rehab program or there isn’t one offered near you, there are still other options. Often Community or Recreation Centres will offer a variety of light to extreme exercise focused programs including aqua fit, swimming, seated exercises, light aerobics, interval training, yoga, tai chi, weight rooms, etc. Other options are senior centres, private gyms or personal training.

If you’ve been a part of a respiratory or pulmonary rehab program, what was your greatest takeaway?