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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Can exercise help my COPD symptoms?

    Related Topics
    Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Fitness and Sports Medicine Respiratory Health
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    Luke Delvecchio

    Diabetes Educator, Exercise Physiologist, Nutritionist

    Specializing in the assessment and treatment of metabolism related weight disorders. View Profile

    Exercise can help manage the symptoms, but it's probably not likely it is going to improve the symptoms. So exercise can help manage the symptoms, a better way of describing the effect of exercise. And by manage the symptoms, we mean also reduce the co-morbidities that are associated with the condition. So people with COPD are at high risk for having vascular disease. So therefore, by conducting regular exercise, particularly aerobic exercise, they can reduce their risk factors for coronary artery disease as well.

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    Lisa Broman

    Exercise Physiologist

    Lisa has worked for over 15 years as an exercise physiologist and specialises in working with NDIS and cancer clients View Profile

    Exercise plays a very important role in managing any respiratory condition. Although exercise cannot reverse the damage and condition of the lungs, what it can do is improve the ability of the muscles to pump blood back to the heart and also improve your strength, which means that over time you may find you can do more with a little less shortness of breath.

    As Luke mentioned, a very important part that exercise plays is reducing your risk factors for other diesease, especially heart disease which can be a huge risk for those suffering breathing conditions because of decreased ability to keep doing exercise. 

    So yes, keep moving and if you are concerned about what is safe for you, chat to your GP who can refer you to a professional for a program

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