With all due respect, running around doing housework is certainly being active, but it doesn't help you build endurance and stamina because of the start and stop nature of the work. For COPD, building endurance and stamina is very important and it requires that you do some aerobic for at least 30 minutes a day non-stop and that you work the upper, lower and core muscle groups hard for at least 30 minutes once a week. If you do the formal exercise, you will find that doing the housework is much easier. Many of us do the formal exercise so we have the endurance and stamina to do the fun things as well as the housework.

Claire, I certainly understand about pain. I would suggest that you ask your doc for a referral to a physical therapist who could show you exercises that would probably not only help your pain, but also allow you to get a good workout.

Anything aerobic that you can sustain for at least 30 minutes without stopping and weights for strengthening upper, lower and core muscle groups. Should exercise daily.

Running around doing housework is my excercise.

Thank you Jean