COPD & Emphysema Support Group

Exercise, exercise, exercise! Make it your mantra. That will at least help you retain muscle tone. God Bless!

I must I must I must exercise this beautiful body - keep on keeping on exercise is essential to COPDers

Thanx for your input about the exercise. A friend who is not on DS and does not have COPD told me to take L-Carnitine????? She says it helps maintain smooth muscle mass?? I don't even know if I spelled it correctly. She is now an R.N. but has a background in nutrition. I think it can be bought in the health food store - don't know if it is a mineral or a hormone or what it is. But exercise is probably the most important thing that I DON'T DO!!! Such a computer potato - have to dust off the sneakers and get going! Do you lift light weights or is it all aerobic?? thanx again!

For me, walking is the best. I used to swim, which is very good, but alas, I no longer have a pool available.

As to body changes, yes, mine did change. Emphysema can cause the chest to be barrel shaped, but my changes were weight gain due to all the steroids, etc. that I had to take.

Now, I just say I'm well-rounded! LOL

I go to the hospital gym for most of my exercise although walking is great and free.

I do several light weights at the gym for exercise to upper body, chest, lung etc. I also do walking, cycling, rowing, mountain climbing at the gym but to be honest the most time I would spend on one piece of equipment is 10 minutes, that is the walking and cycling machine mainly, the other equipment I do 17-20 repetitions (weight training for chest and lung exercise). I spend about 2-3 minutes on the other equipment, (naturally I go slower when I'm not feeling so good and faster when I'm having a real good day).

I do this exercise for 40-60 minutes 2 - 3 times a week.