A few folk have asked me what my own healthy living programme to manage COPD is like...so here goes-it works for me, though I appreciate it may not work for everyone.
A typical week will include
A reasonable amount of exercise, inc. daily 2-3 PR exercises, different ones each day,
walking 20-60 minutes 2-3 times a week. In the summer I use hilly walks to help push to me to breathlessness ( not difficult to achieve being breathless hahha) and in the winter I walk faster then have to rest a few times to get my breath back. Try to walk to the shops rather than drive...and I bought a shopping trolley to help carry the shopping back.
Once I week I go to a yoga class. 5 mins of laughing for no reason can really help to clear my lungs.
Medication. I take Seretide 250 2 puffs morning and night. Tiotropium 18 slow release once a day, Phyllocontin 225 twice a day. Salbutamol if I need it. I am religious in taking my meds every day-never miss.
Eating. Fresh vegetables and fruits and quality protein.....eg cheeses, moderate amount butter, eggs, skimmed milk, pulses, fish but NO meat. Soups are great! Keep my carbohydrates under control and use the carbs in veg eg. Sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips etc. keep my biscuits, cakes and deserts to a minimum Drink quite a lot of water and love my cup of tea. Hardly drink any alcohol at all.
Mental. Keep interested in the world, learn something new eg a new crochet pattern, learning to play the ukulele, reading, occasional crossword, learning to sketch, keep up with friends, watch intelligent tv and meditate regularly to manage my mind.
Rest. I find if I don't rest during sometime during the day or sleep properly then I am a wreck. I am inclined to overdo the activity side of life, then feel very sore all over the body with a headache, so very occasionally find that 2 Paracetamol helps with that, usually take them at night and need them once or twice every couple of months.
So really folks that is it
Will you share your healthy life style with us all ?
Keep well and happy.
P x
Written by
PollyP
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Really interesting, not least because, as you may recall, my lung function also improved dramatically. I'm not as good as you on the exercise front and carbs and alcohol are regularly in my life (yes, I need to boot them out a bit!) but other than that our lifestyles are quite similar!
Hi Frose, well done you! I am fortunate to be able to spend quite a lot of time on exercise as I am semi, semi, semi, semi retired.....but even 10-15 mins a day make a difference I feel. I can often hear Lisa Jay's commands in my head and that helps to get going!
Thanks for your post Polly, I find my 'lifestyle' is pretty similar to yours. I don't eat much meat but may give it up. Im not on as much medication as you but make sure I take my spiriva every morning and at the same time. I don't have a tv but listen to a variety of radio stations depending on my mood. Your positive attitude shines through and its lovely to be able to compare how we manage our day to day lives. Thank you
Hi Polly, as you know I'm a keen believer in exercise as a key part to keeping those lungs in the best possible condition.
Walking covers the bulk of it with weekly fit to breath classes, singing and other exercises to music at home included.
I know I could do better on the diet side of things and have let things slip a little after losing 2 stone in weight. Not carrying that extra weight I found my breathing and energy levels to be the best I have been since falling ill.
A stone has crept back on so I do need to get a grip again and get myself back to that person I was a year ago.
I only drink when on holiday or New Years Eve ( cider & southern comfort, hick!) .
Have recently started taking cod liver oil as an experiment so we'll see if or what benefits come from that in time. so far productive cough seems to have eased.
I sleep well luckily but find I am better if I don't go to bed to late as lying in doesn't make up for a late night.
This is a great post Polly and has concentrated my mind on upping my game which can only lead to an improved life.
Awww Tony, thanks so much for your support, and fit to breath class? Wish we had one here in Gloucester, I would be there like a shot!
Hey and singing, I don't do that enough, only once a week at Ukulele club, although I failed to mention dancing round the kitchen hahhaaaa, not a regular thing but when the music takes me....
Perhaps lots of folk think that exercise has to be serious, at the gym and all that, but there are lots way to move the body into movement....housework gardening therapeutic pedals ( haven't bought mine yet )
Mmmm interesting about the cod liver oil, look forward to hearing if it helps you and I have begun taking Supergreens powder...too early to say thought yet......
And hey tricky to maintain a healthy weight if exercising is not so easy and other things are against it eh?
You are a true inspiration Tony, and hope that when the weather is dryer and warmer then walking in the Malverns will be possible again....yay!
Hi polly thank you for that as I have not yet been for pr I do not know what the exercises are you able to enlighten me please 😊 and thank you again and well done you 👍
I have not been diagnosed with COPD yet but am asthmatic and COPD is looking likely. Hearing that lung function can be maintained, or even improved, has made me feel so much better so a huge thank you for that. It seems yoga/pilates has a very positive effect so I am starting a class next week. I hope you continue to live life to the full! Nat x
Aw nat-tat...how brilliant! I have been practicing yoga for over 20 years now....it is so brilliant in many ways ...enjoy eh? And give it a few weeks, if not months for the benefits to show xxx
Thanks for sharing with us Polly, I'm pleasantly surprised that your regime is quite do-able and that made me feel a bit more optimistic.
I expected it to be something much more out of my scope. I'm not the most energetic person and because of my physical limitations, soon lose heart lol. xxx
I was so surprised to learn that the health of my lungs seems to be good compared to what it has been over the years and the benefit can be seen two years in a row so it doesn't seem to be a fluke! And of course I am 12 years older too from when I was diagnosed.
The thing that really motivated was after working at it all for a while and once I felt healthier then I was really motivated to keep things moving in the right direction.
The point I wanted to make really is that it is relatively easy to get fitter and stay fitter and which doesn't require us to necessarily go to the gym a million times a week, or run ( hahhaaaa) so many times a week and so on.
So if it is dancing in the kitchen or doing some wall presses or walking I wish you well.
Mine's similar to yours Polly, but I sing virtually every day, and I do eat meat, healthy portion size (75g protein). Getting a fitness watch has helped me raise my baseline steps each day from 2500 in February to 9000 this month. Once I've got used to this I will try to raise the bar to 10,000.
That is fantastic! 9000 steps is it a day? Good on you! Can you recommend exactly what type of fitness watch you have please ? I really think I should use one as well.
Yes, 9000 a day. I use a Garmin Vivofit, and they're on offer at Argos at the moment, so you should be able to buy one more cheaply than I did at around £60 from Comet. I like it because I can use it to check steps and calories, and also sleep patterns, and I don't have to sign up to the community if I don't want to, just download the watch data to the website. But there are all sorts of other fitness watches available with more whistles and bells if you like that sort of thing.
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Drink quite a lot of water and love my cup of tea. Hardly drink any alcohol at all. 
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