Patient Education Living Well with COPD Booklet | Page 23

Exercise and Activity
Staying active can improve your physical
condition and make your breathing
easier.
Stretching
• Always stretch when your muscles
are warm, such as after you have
been active and moved around a little
while.
Guidelines for Activity
• Never stretch to the point of pain.
• The key to becoming more active is to
start slowly. When you fi rst start, you
may only be able to do a few minutes
of exercise at a time.
• Certain stretches, performed regularly,
can help your breathing.
• Slowly work up to 30 minutes of
activity daily. You can break it into 3
sessions of 10 minutes of activity or
exercise.
Lateral Neck Flexion
Tilt head toward
shoulder, then tilt head
toward the opposite
shoulder.
• Wear shoes that have good support
and fi t comfortably.
• Always warm up (walk for a few
minutes) and cool down (slowly
decrease the intensity of the activity).
• Never hold your breath when
exercising.
• Don’t exercise on an empty or full
stomach. Wait 1 hour after light meals.
• Avoid outdoor activity when below
40°F or above 80°F. Watch for high
humidity and adjust as needed.
Neck Rotation
Turn head slowly over
each shoulder.
Intensity of Exercise
• You should not become more short of
breath when doing exercise.
• While exercising, you should still be
able to talk easily.
Shoulder Circles
• The day after you are more active,
you may feel more tired than usual.
Roll shoulders slowly
backward, and then
roll shoulders forward.
• When doing a strengthening exercise,
you should not have to strain.
• Coordinate your breathing with your
exercises — exhale with effort.
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