by Ron Peterson - diagnosed with emphysema at age 43 in 1987. He is an avid supporter of exercise for those with COPD.
Patients with emphysema who exercise frequently are now requiring far fewer hospitalizations for bronchial and lung infections.
A woman who was diagnosed with emphysema 28 years ago still only requires supplemental oxygen to exercise. She believes the key to longevity after lung disease diagnosis is avoiding lung infections.
Those with lung disease who actively seek information about effective self treatment techniques learn quickly that frequent exercise has the potential to greatly increase their quality of life by decreasing the amount of oxygen that their muscles need to do the required tasks of daily living.
The relationship of exercise on the need for hospitalizations for those with lung disease is less well known although unpublished studies have clearly identified this additional important benefit of frequent exercise.
Many people with copd have learned the importance of frequent exercise and are not going to the hospital so often as they have needed to for lung infections in the past.
Many with lung disease who have begun an exercise program have contacted the author with glowing reports of not needing to be hospitalized for lung infections after starting to exercise. Two others have indicated that they contracted lung infections after stopping exercise programs. Another has told of a friend who died of a lung infection which was contracted after stopping an exercise program. The author had 2 hospitalizations for lung infections in the year before starting an exercise program yet recently had his first hospitalization for a bronchial infection since beginning to exercise 3 and a half years ago. Many times he feels as if an infection is starting before exercising but afterwards the feeling of infection is lessened or gone.
A 55 year old woman who contacted the author recently is an example of a person who has not suffered a lung infection after starting an exercise program. She started exercising two years ago and was in the hospital 5 or 6 times a year previous to that with various pulmonary complications.
A 72 year old man with emphysema who started to exercise recently has stopped getting pneumonia and no longer is required to take the drug prednisone. He says he is doing better all the time, is doing things now he never thought he would be able to do again and has done a video testimonial of his progress. He is currently walking 3 miles every day with his wife and is feeling good. He is most pleased to report that he no longer requires supplemental oxygen during the day (even to walk) but uses it for sleep at night.
A patient with emphysema (who has been exercising religiously for years) recently wrote that, "exercise literally saved my life." She explained that doctors had not considered her a surgery candidate for a small cancerous lump on her lung because of possible complications from emphysema until they did an exercise stress test on her and saw how healthy her body was and immediately scheduled her surgery. The surgery and recovery were successful and the patient has already started another exercise program.
Another correspondent states, "before rehab I was in the hospital and nearly bed ridden; now two years later my life has improved 100% and I do have a life again".
Thus the evidence is building that those with emphysema who begin a daily exercise program are much less likely to contract a bronchial or lung infection.
In the opinion of the author, the most important action we can take to help those with emphysema is to use the above information to help motivate initiation of a daily exercise program. As one internet acquaintance stated when informed of the above thoughts, "that is the best reason I have ever heard of to start exercising".
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