For exercise, you want to start with something aerobic, usually walking because we all have to do that. Your first goal is to walk for 30 minutes without stopping. Most of us can't do that to begin with, so we start very slowly and go for a long as we can (keep track of time). You're shooting for endurance, not speed or distance, so time is most important, so start slow. If you take off at what you think is a "normal pace" you'll run yourself out of air in about a minute. Go for as long as you can as slowly as you can. Note the time when you have to stop to catch your breath. Then do the same amount of time again until you've done 30 minutes total. Do the same thing for the next couple of days. Then, very slowly add a little time to how long you walk before you stop to catch your breath. Keep doing that until you're able to do 30 minutes without stopping. Then you can add time, distance or speed. But walk for at least 30 minutes without stopping each day.

You also need to work on upper, lower and core muscle groups. If you google those terms you can find more exercises than you could do in a lifetime. You can use free weights, join a gym and use their machines, get some stretchy ropes or bands, get a swiss ball. Lots of things you can use for strength.

Many people join gyms for about $35.00 a month. You can check with the local Y's and Senior centers. Many have gyms you can join for little or no monthly fee. Check your insurance and see if it will pay for Silver Sneakers and see if any of the local gyms will honor that. The alternative is to buy your own equipment for home.

As for the education part, here are a couple of websites that you can use:

http://www.perf2ndwind.org/html/exercise.html

www.gopdfoundation.org

Review those sites and you'll learn a lot.

@A MyCOPDTeam Member, your question was what is taught and that would depend on what you already know. By now you've probably read all about "belly breathing" and "pursed lip breathing." What happened (at least to me) in rehab was more supervision than education. Hooked up to their oxygen machine, we started with seven minutes on the treadmill with the respiratory therapist measuring 02 and BP afterwards. On to a combination leg and arm cycle gadget for prescribed time, check vitals, and then work with an arms-only machine. There were also several "toys" to blow in, again for increasing duration, and the session ended with last measurements of 02 and BP. All this is duly recorded by the respiratory therapists. They also keep an eye out for signs of difficulty -- I tend to hold my breath without realizing it -- and safety issues. Depending on how fast you improve, times on each machine are increased.

It was definitely helpful but when I became unable to work even part-time, I couldn't afford it either. My pulmonary doc arranged something called "maintenance" where I went to use the machines only and they only checked vitals at beginning and end. That was for $40 a month co-pay, twice-weekly appointments that I sometimes missed, but this was before Obamacare scrambled deductibles even for those of us on Medicare and I don't know what that would be now.

What worked for me -- and I can't stress enough how important it is to remember that we all have different circumstances -- was buying a home treadmill. I don't think the one I have would work for a runner or a big man, but it's just right for me, was less than $200 on Amazon, and was the best investment I ever made. Even when I'm not "up to" getting presentable to go out, I can get on the treadmill in my nightgown and I find myself doing so far more frequently than if I had to drive somewhere. I hate it when I say I can't afford something and the advice is to spend money, but in this case it's turned out to be pennies a day. I have very severe COPD, am on 3lpm 24/7, and if I skip more than a day on the treadmill, I feel a lot worse!

Other exercises are important, too, for your arms and chest muscles, but you don't have to do them all in one session. I hope this helps.

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A MyCOPDT...

It is mostly light exercise you can also Google breathing exercises which are a great help but everything has to be done daily take care x

hi everyone, for those that can't afford the rehab exercises, go toCOPD.com/exercises. They have very good ones. If you can afford a pair of weights& elastic ribbons( sure the gyms or fitness stores would have them) They are really the only expense you need to incur. Weights? fill 2 empty plastic soft drink bottles, about the size your hand will fit around with wet sand or soil, as long as they are the same size and weight. There you are one COPD fitness class. lol
hels

one thing you can do when you first start weights.i can of veggies is one pound .that is what you can start at.