Lasy year I completrd my Pulminory Rehab course at the local Hospital,and I was given the chance to do a further 3 month course at the local gym,which I have done.
After comleting this course I was asked if I wanted to join the gym,and attend as a regular member.
I did join the gym,but I am getting repeat chest infections one after the other.
I have been asking my GP to refer me to a chest specialist and at long last he has agreed.
My point is,I feel really guilty when I don't go to the gym,but do I really need to keep up this level of exercise,I am quite active at home,I don't just sit round all day doing nothing.
Your thoughts appreciated.
Alan
Written by
asimmd
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
It's nice to know there is someone who understands.You are correct about the gym staff thinking I am just not turning up because I can't be bothered,I don't think they really understand.
Anyway,I am hopefull of getting some answers on the 29th,I do hope it's not going to be a damp squib.
The one overiding thing I got out of my PR course was,"It's OK to be out of breath"
I was worried that if I got out of breath I would have a heart attack or stroke,but the PR team assured me it was not just OK ,but desirable.
I think it safe to say I have benefited from exercise,I am not idle at home,my wife still works and I look after her every day,I do some housework,all the cooking,a bit of gardening,etc.
The bottom line is WE know how we feel,and if we feel we can't manage something,that's our business,no need to feel bad about it.
Yes you are right that we need to keep up the exercise after PR, I never joined a gym after as I felt it would expose me to more infection also because my condition is so unpredictable ( I can be good for a while then suddenly not so good ) The weather also affects me so I felt gym membership would be a waste of money. I do however exercise for at least 30 minuets (sometimes more) 3 to 4 times a week at home plus I go for walks as often as I can. I also am as active as I can be during the day, I do a bit ,rest a bit then do a bit more, Yes it is desirable to become breathless during exercise, if we don't we are not working hard enough! It is also important to remember to warm up before exercise & cool down afterwards. As you say there is no need to feel bad about it if you cannot manage something WE all know how we feel and some days our exercise tollerance is not so good. We must all listen to our own body!
I wasn't allowed the electrics on my Pulmonary Rehab, I was classed as being to bad for that. So no treadmill, bikes rowing machines. I was given dumbells 1/2 kilo I believe and set about upper body strength exercises. I had it in my mind I was dying and that confirmed it when placed on light exercises different to anyone else. after 3 weeks I realised I was using much heavier dumbells and walking further. When I got to my last session I was invited onto the treadmill for a couple of minutes, even though I was feeling 128% better than when first starting PR. Like yourself I was referred to a 12 week program run through our local Council and yes brilliant it was explaining what each piece of apparatus was for and yes healthy eating. After the 12 weeks we was invited to stay at the gym on a minimal payment. So yes I carried on attending. Others went into the pool but that was a real struggle it felt as though my chest was being sqeezed in and I have heard of this with people with lung disease so I carried on walking on the treadmill. Then one day it happened, there I was walking at the speed of one mile a fortnight on the level. When this young lady turned up wearing a leotard and gets on the adjacent treadmill puts in on fast and uphill and running like a good one turning the machine up to full speed. Being a male I should have been looking thinking corr. How wrong I was trying to find a hole in the floor to swallow me up. Embarassed never in my whole life had I felt like that so I packed in. I knew how important it was to carry on with the exercise so I bought some one Kilo dumbells and did the same upper body exercises I was shown on Rehab and that exercise plus my very very very steady walking that is what I have done for the past 7 years. I can hear people shouting you don't call that exercising do you? well put it this way for the past 6+ my Lung capacity yes my FEV1 as moved up from severe severe to severe. No my lungs aren't being repaired but for just over 6 years now the progress of my lung diseases as been halted and surely that is what we all should be after, So no we don't need to be spending our money on making other people richer. My dumbells cost me £3-99p And have had them nearly 7 years. The importance is doing some light exercises not Body building if that was so then I confess I couldn't have listened. However Living a beautiful life while having my 4 lung diseases. X
I bought a set of hand weights, but you could use tins or suchlike from your store cupboard. I also have a small trampoline to jog on ( can only do 2 minuests at a time) a pilates Ball. You really do not need to buy much. I use the bottom steeps of the stairs todo step ups (also go up and down the the stairs several times a day) you could also do sit to stand exercise from a chair and wall pushes are really good. I'm surprised that you did not receive a set of home exercise when doing PR
Best wishes
Jo
Hi Alan
As others have said, its important to keep the exercise going after the pr course, forever and ever and ever etc etc etc. As soon as we stop we de-condition real quick and find we cannot breathe as good or do as much. Its the less you do the less you can do, or the more you do the more you can do. You don't have to over do it, 30-40 mins a day or 20 min 2 x daily or 10 mins 3-4 x daily etc
You did good to keep going to gym regularly. Well done for that. The answer is yes you do need to do some exercise every day preferable or 3 good 45 min sessions of focussed exercising pw.
You don't have to attend a gym to maintain the exercise, to be honest I gave it up because I found healthy lung people would share their colds and bugs with everyone else at the gym.
Now I walk out, do some gardening, clean house, attend an exercise class and when weather is bad I exercise in house.
Hi Alan. It is so very important to keep up the exercise after Rehab. I brought myself an exercise bike. And some Theraband, plus some little 0.5 to 1.5 hand weights. The bottom of my stairs is used for step up exercise, a hard chair for sit up stand up. Walking for ten minutes can be done in the house, not as nice as a wander, ok for me it is very slow but I enjoy. You must do at least 30 minutes three times a week. Rain or shine. I too declined the Gym, in fact i never went to the Gym after rehab prefering to keep up the routines at home. It takes a little dedication, but the outcome is priceless. More stamina, and bettter health. Hope this has helped Alan.
Viz the exercise bike - there are some on the market which you can use just for hands or feet cost about £60, might be worth looking for on line? and can be stored easily under a chair. Regards the step - do you have a front door step, if so use that instead of the stairs or you may be able to get one again off the internet - worth a try.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Pulmonary rehab assessment.
Pulmonary Rehab
Pulmonary Rehab
First visit to Pulmonary rehab
Pulmonary rehab and tests
