Well, without enough exercise, your body becomes less conditioned, your muscles become less efficient at using oxygen, and you enter a vicious cycle of becoming more and more short of breath during less and less physical activity. Shortness of breath is not due to your lung disease alone. Your deconditioned muscles cause your weakness, and also much of your shortness of breath.

Yes, you may be very weak and unable to walk more than a few steps. However, even people with very advanced lung disease can and do carry on regular exercise programs. A person may begin a pulmonary rehabilitation program unable to walk across the room, but six weeks later, is usually able to walk an hour a day. This kind of improvement is most easily obtained in a supervised rehab program, but it can also be done on your own. Click here for a list of local pulmonary rehabilitiation programs.

The person with lung disease who sticks to an exercise program can expect an improved quality of life, improved endurance and ability to perform daily activities, improved emotional and mental well-being, and easier weight control. Exercise also plays a major role in preventing or reducing many of the other risks associated with aging including heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and depression.

Most important to a successful exercise program is to go slowly. First, make sure your doctor knows about your intent to begin an exercise program, and screens you for any possible drop in blood oxygen levels brought on by exercising. Exercise will do you no good if it deprives your heart of oxygen. Also, make sure you do not have any heart conditions that could be complicated by exercise.