COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a condition in which you suffer from one or several diseases, including bronchitis, emphysema and idiopathic, or unknown, lung conditions that compromises your lung capacity and ability to breathe. Treatment for COPD can include anti-inflammatory medications that reduce swelling of the airways, and pulmonary rehabilitation. Exercise can be a part of pulmonary rehab to help you breathe easier, and provides you with a host of benefits.
Improved Circulation
Aerobic exercise--a workout that elevates your heart rate while you exercise--can improve your circulation, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Better circulation delivers oxygen more efficiently to your body's tissues; when you have COPD, your oxygen saturation is not always maximally efficient, and you can become deprived of this essential nutrient. A regular routine of aerobic exercise, under the supervision of your doctor, can regulate an abnormally fast heartbeat that's sometimes associated with COPD as well as increase the distribution of oxygen.
Strengthens Muscles
Weight-bearing exercise, such as walking, swimming and working with hand weights, strengthens the muscles throughout your body. The strengthening also helps your heart, diaphragm and lungs grow stronger, which is important when these organs are not functioning as well as they are supposed to. The Canadian Lung Association points out that if you are stronger, you can stay independent longer, and may not have to be hospitalized as often. Remaining inactive, whether COPD or another medical condition is the cause, can lead to atrophy, or reduction in size, of your muscles. Weakness due to muscle atrophy can put you at a higher risk for accidents and injury.
Weight Management
Regular exercise provides the benefit of weight management to many people. Being overweight can be particularly detrimental to those with chronic lung disease, explains the Canadian Lung Association. Excess fat around the midsection, called visceral fat, is a common area of the body in which middle-aged and older people tend to put on weight. The extra weight puts more pressure on the diaphragm, the large muscle in your abdomen, that controls your breathing. Exercising to shed some extra pounds can reduce the pressure on the diaphragm, leading to easier breathing.
Reduction in Symptoms
COPD International and COPD Canada report that exercising as much as your condition will allow can lead to a reduction in symptoms of your lung disorder. Shortness of breath, high blood pressure and fluctuating blood sugar levels can all improve with the benefit of exercise. Your mood may feel lighter as well; patients suffering from chronic diseases often experience a range of negative emotions about their conditions, including anxiety and depression. Physical activity can not only help your body, but your mind as well.
