You walk at a steady pace you get out of breath you clean at your own pace and you are looking for air you bath or shower and you get out of breath all quit fast . Some of us go to theripy you do about 20 or 30 min and you find you are not breathing so bad as if you are doing the above HOW
Question for everyone with lung cond... - Lung Conditions C...
Question for everyone with lung condition
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For the record I find that I can walk at least 2 kms on the flat, but when it comes to showering, shaving or doing little things around the house I quickly become breathless. I believe this can be attributed to muscle usage.........walking uses certain muscles and provided you use them regularly, you build up a tolerance, whereas lesser used muscles typically demand more oxygen and thus one becomes more breathless. Showering can become a real hassle especially bending down to pick up a wayward bar of soap!
I can walk a mile in 30 minutes on the treadmill with very little trouble but walking the 50 metres up and down the street leaves me gagging. I can't shower until I've cleared my lungs first thing in the morning and even then I'm breathless.
It is because of distraction...which is a wonder drug available to all and free. Nagging tooth ache?...get distracted and it disappears for a while. Back ache?....something gives you something else to worry about for a while and you get relief from your pains....same with breathing. I struggle to walk more than a few paces outside of my home but the other day when I thought my grand daughter was in trouble, I ran. I paid the price afterwards but not at the time...the reason....distraction. How do I manage to sing in a choir which sometimes involves standing for some time and singing? Distraction..I enjoy do it.
• in reply toCornishBrian
I like your post, it's so true, and I also sing in a choir, that's my best distraction, I never get breathless then.
I agree .....certain activities make me very breathless .....I find the most important thing is keeping calm. I was told singing helps to regulate the breathing naturally so I do this in the shower as sometimes the steam makes me awful. I do not find distraction really gives me more energy, maybe change in breathing helps us all.......rushing and panicking are a deadly combination for me....wish there was a magic pill for all this....take care and breathe well
Very interesting question David12, myself I think the effort required for certain activities is what causes breathlessness as it requires more oxygen from our lungs, and bending activities squash our lungs. On bad days I find even walking on the flat a problem and I'm only early stage COPD, rushing is a definite no no.Exercising does help the breathing, but simple things like carrying,lifting, bed making,ironing and gardening has to be done in small ten minute spates with a rest. More importantly why do things like dressing, bathing ect which we have done all our lives cause such breathing issues as you say.
A lot to be said that the muscles make the difference, look at sprinters full of muscle because they need the oxygen in vast amounts to get them muscles to explode into action. Then look at long distance runners no way the same build but need stamina.
I used to do cross country running for the school and county and I was a skinny then. Once I left school and found girls and beer more interesting I put on a bit of weight but had a very physical job and it was not high. Then I took up Karate and became very fit. I have had a few breathing problems all my life and had the odd bad time in my fit years pluersy, pneumonia etc. but got back to normal? pretty quickly. I had my first bad lung infection and was diagnosed with a heart condition as well. That is when I was put on all sorts of tablets that flattened me and made it impossible to continue my Karate (3rd Dan Instructor) my muscle turned to fat my breathing got worse and more infections. My worse meant I lost 3 stone which was mainly muscle ( ICU will take 2% body weight a day)
I am at a stage now that I seem to plod on for a fair time on a good day but once I stop I am gasping for breath. It is now a catch 22 if I push myself I am out of breath and feel bad and the recovery is taking longer. The only place I have a reasonable muscle tone is my arms as I use callinetic exercise as I find that is the best for me. Sorry if I have waffled on.
we have something in common Offcut I did judo many years ago and we went from the club to teach kids at the local leisure centre.
I had 72 members in my club and about the same in my instructors classes I took 2 days a week with mine 2 days with his and then 2 days of me training a week.
you remind me of the guy who used to take the class at our club { sankeys } I taught kids aged 7-12 can't remember how many we had.
It got close to becoming a career I was on the Wado-Ryu Black belt commitee and did classes in all sorts of place around England and Wales. Got a bronze medal in the british open.
I went to GKN Sankey they had a big hall we would hire it twice a week that is in Telford. It sounds like you were much better at it than me.
It just takes over your life my Karate suite was more expensive than my best suite. 
I still meet people that ask were I teach now. They do not see the belly and pale complexion?
I'm in jog pants can't get used to wearing skirts and dresses.
My legs are so badly discoulerd with bruising and my skin is very thin so it is easily cut, at the moment i am having treatment for what was a tiny little cut and is now all covered up and a leg tubigrip to try to keep the circulation going
Hi, I find my breathlessness has a lot to do with moisture in the air, cooking and the steam affects me, showers, the same. walking the dog (slowly) the weather, on the treadmill at the gym at lot easier somehow. The air quality has a bigger impact than I'd have thought. Anxiety and panic too, learning different breathing techniques has definitely helped me feel more in control. It is horrid, frustrating condition to live with though.
I have always assumed that the gym is easier because it is a steady pace and at your own speed. Once you do things which require irregular breathing, that's when it becomes difficult. I sleep fine until I get up to the loo, then on my return start coughing because my breathing pattern has been disturbed, for instance.
That is an interesting question and one I have asked myself before. I am only in the early stages, but I can't rush anything anymore because of sob and everything has to be done at an easier pace. The air quality definitely has a role to play because some days I am almost like pre copd but other days I have to keep stopping when walking. I often have short bursts of energy but they don't last long and then I am more knackered than ever. One tip I picked up from PR is when you bend don't breathe in breathe out. The less air in your lungs the less 'squashed' feeling you get. x
mind over matter
I find the longer I am on my legs doing whatever,I can breathe better than when I'm sitting about, when sat still I think I don't have a problem,until..... I get up and realize I am sooooo out of breathe more than if I had been on my feet,hope this makes sence to you, as the mind can play tricks aswell.
A very interesting question indeed. Someone mentioned using certain muscles for walking and being able to build up muscle strength ( and breathing tolerance) for that activity. But then one wonders why it's not possible to build up some stronger lung capacity and stamina for the activities that all of us find so difficult. After all we do these things every day. Would doing things like bending, walking upstairs etc., as an exercise, in other words repeatedly, be helpful ? Have those of you who've done pulmonary rehab addressed these issues of the level of sob involved in doing simple round the house activities ?
Offcut• in reply to
The way it was explained to me was that the lung is a very lazy organ and the diaphragm is doing the work of drawing in negative pressure to suck air in plus the action it self of breathing in. I have a paralysed Diaphragm which does not help when you bend over or swim as I stop breathing. I have been told I have to have a test to fly now as I have a high chance of Hypoxia 
Hi David 12
I can walk a couple of miles or more as long as its flat ground but as soon as I have to walk, even the slightest upward slope, I start coughing and get short of breath. I also get coughing fits with bending down but thats gravity and I expect that. But HaHo just have to do our best.
I went to pulmonary therapy, and was told the reason it is easier to walk on the treadmill as opposed to walking elsewhere is because when your on the treadmill it propels you on the back step, so you aren't working your own muscles as much as when your walking (even on a flat surface). Kind of makes sense.
I've just completed Pulmonary Rehab. I have severe bronchiecstasis. I did the exercises really well at the class, in fact the Physio congratulated me but when it comes to doing them at home I just can't manage the aerobic exercises and the walking in the street is the absolute end. In the class you walk on a smooth, flat floor with no hazards like dropped pavements and manhole covers and overhanging shrubs so you can just get on with it with your head held high and 'proper' breathing so it's comparatively easy. Glad I'm not alone in this. Take care. Lizzy.
Oh how I agree with you, there are many daily activities impaired by our disability that are never took into consideration, just apparently our walking ability or inability and many adaptations that assist us to do a thing leave people under the misapprehension that we can do it. But not normally like others I would say. How do you get up off the floor? , I have to find something to hold on to.
In reality there is no one answer there are many as copd afeacks people in different ways like my self in the morning I can get up say from 3 on wards but no later than 6 find it hard as can not breath proper at all the wife will get up with me give me a drink and my meds some times she will stay up with me sometimes she will go back to bed it takes me about 2 hours to come round to some type of normal if you can call it normal some time I can go to my son which is just across the street then all right some time not cant do any type of DIY not even hover as find it hard to breath so most of my time is sitting round doing nothing but do like it when I go to theripy ones a week as for walking I use a wheel chair most of the time I do try and walk in some small shops but got to stop a lot so you see copd affects us all in a different way or I do Cook Sunday dinner to give the wife a brake but fan is on and back do is open and window is to as if I do not open them I will suffer doing it thanks for all the replies good night all take it easy
Therapy helps build tolerance, stamina, and physiological coping mechanisms. It does not repair your lungs but it is good for health and will make one feel better in the long term.
There is a lot in mind over matter,tricks our brain try's to play on us. As the other day I had the bath running,but I was in the living room on my iPad and forgot it was running,all of a sudden I remembered it,jumped up ran as fast as I could easily to the. Bath which had overflowed ,but I just couldn't believe I did that with no problem.normal. Makes m wonder if fear of a exacerbation makes it worse ,as at rehab we feel safer.
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