Keeping Up With Exercise
We see very few people for fear of cold or flu and do not take to crowds. It is a way of life with COPD that has kept us safe and infection-free. Most of us began to live this way after a major exacerbation and continued when it seemed to work. After being in total isolation and quarantine for months, it is time to join the land of the living, if you can proceed with caution.
Creating new routines
Quarantine allowed us to indulge in too much television and napping. Most of us, if honest, will admit that we have allowed exercising to take a back seat to our new routine. And, if we are honest, most of us will admit that it has become slightly harder to breathe.
It is not easy. My pulmonary rehab was cancelled just as I was getting started. I was so excited to be given another kick at the cat! I envisioned going until the fall and being so active but when COVID hit, all exercise places closed. It is difficult to be held accountable when no one is watching. It is just human nature.
We must carry on and hold ourselves and each other accountable for getting on with our exercise regimens. There are lots of exercise videos available online right here at COPD.net.
My daily exercises
I like to take care of cardio first thing in the morning with my peddler. This is a sitting exercise that I do for about 60 minutes a day. It can take me an entire day doing 10-minute increments. When I get short of breath, I use pursed-lip breathing to get my breath under control. Remember that the idea of exercise is to do it in such a way that you do not become short of breath. This exercise keeps my lungs, heart, and legs exercised.
After a light lunch, I start doing upper body exercises. I follow videos for the upper body, chest, and arms. Finding one between 20 and 30 minutes suits me just fine. I do these exercises sitting down, and by the time I am done, my arms are burning but I am not short of breath. This kind of exercise helps me carry my weakened lungs and upper body. I can feel the strength coming back every time I complete a set.
Finally, after dinner is done and I have settled down, I like to do deep breathing abdominal exercising. I find that doing these exercises helps me calm down later in the day and leads to a great meditation exercise later in the evening closer to bedtime.
When you suffer from a chronic illness like COPD you must be responsible for overall body exercising because this is what allows you to live a better, longer life without being short of breath with every movement.
How about you? What does your exercise routine look like? Do you do certain things in the morning and others in the afternoon or evening? Let us know in the comments below!
Editor’s Note: We are extremely saddened to say that on January 7th, 2024, Barbara Moore passed away. Barbara’s advocacy efforts and writing continue to reach many. She will be deeply missed.
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