What is Pulmonary Rehabilitation?

Pulmonary rehabilitation is a program of exercise, education and support. It is to help patients learn to breath and function at the highest possible level. You will learn how to manage your chest condition. This enables you to stay healthy and active for months after the programme. A history will be taken. If you have any baseline respiratory function tests that will be recorded. It does not matter if you are not able to walk very far. It is important you start out exercising at a slow pace, even if that’s only for a minute or two. If you usually have oxygen this can be worn. Whilst you exercise you are with an experienced physiotherapist. Your oxygen levels and heart rate can be monitored, so you can exercise safely. You will be surprised what you can achieve!

What will it involve?

During pulmonary rehabilitation you will learn:

• Breathing techniques.
• Relaxation.
• Use of oxygen.
• Travelling with a chest condition.
• How to do everyday tasks with less shortness of breath.
• How to stay healthy and avoid exacerbations.

Personnel issues such as anxiety, panic and continence can be discussed with management ideas.
Being physical active has many benefits:

• Strengthening your respiratory muscles.
• Allowing phlegm to be cleared more easily.
• Builds your resistance to future infections.
• Strengthens your heart and your circulation.
• Increases your confidence and feeling of well-being.
• Added benefits to your blood pressure, risk of heart disease and risk of falling.

How is Progress Measured?

The BORG scale is used to rate the amount of effort you are putting into your exercise. It is measured from 0 to Ten. We like you to work at three to four, so you feel warm and you are breathing more deeply. Your heart rate may be up (but you can still hold a conversation). It is useful if you can to carry out a walking diary recording your minutes of continued walking.

When we work with you walking may be part of your exercise as well as thses exercises: step up, marching on the spot, half jacks, arm lateral raises, arm curls, leg lunges. As you progress weights can be added to your legs or arms. Exercises may change to include sit to stand tasks, squats and upright rows.
It is important to learn to enjoy your exercise! We look forward to working with you to achieve your goals.