Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease - Lifestyle Changes

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Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES). An investigative device uses electrical pulses to stimulate muscles in the legs. In an early study, patients were treated for 16 minutes per leg during the first week and 30 minutes per leg thereafter for a total of 30 sessions. At the end of 6 weeks, endurance capacity increased significantly, and patients reported less muscle fatigue and shortness of breath.

Physical Exercise

Certain physical exercise may be very helpful.

Strengthening Exercises for the Limbs. Exercising and strengthening the limb muscles helps some patients improve their endurance and reduce breathlessness.

Walking. In studies of lung rehabilitation, regular exercise increases walking distance and improves breathing. Walking is the best exercise for people with emphysema. Patients should try to walk three to four times daily for five to 15 minutes each time. Devices that assist ventilation may reduce breathlessness that occurs during exercise.

Yoga and Eastern Practices. Yoga or tai chi practices, which use deep breathing and medication techniques, may be particularly beneficial for COPD patients. A clinical trial is underway to determine if yoga is helpful for COPD patients.

Click the icon to see an image depicting yoga practice.

Breath Training

Inspiratory Muscle Training and Incentive Spirometer. Inspiratory muscle training involves exercises and devices that make inhaling more difficult in order to strengthen breathing muscles. In a 2001 study, patients who took part in a training group improved their breathing, walking capacity, and quality of life. The use of an incentive spirometer for 15 minutes twice a day may also be helpful as part of a training program. It also helps loosen sputum. This is a small hand-held device that contains a breathing gauge. The patient exhales and then inhales forcefully through the tube, using the pressure of the inhalation to raise the gauge to the highest level possible. A device called a peak inspiratory flow (PIF) meter measures the patient's ability to draw air into the lungs and assesses the fitness of the breathing muscles.

Dietary Factors

Protein and Fats. Many COLD patients are deficient in protein. Although most healthy diets emphasize proteins from fish, poultry, and lean meat, people with COLD may benefit from foods with a higher fat content than average. (People should still prefer healthy fats, however, such as those found in olive oil and oily fish.) Some evidence suggests that high-carbohydrate meals may reduce exercise capacity.

Fruits, Vegetables, and Whole Grains. Healthy foods are as important for lung function as they are for health in general. Specific foods that may be important for healthy lungs are those that contain antioxidants (best obtained from fresh, deep green and yellow-orange fruits and vegetables), selenium (fish, red meat, grains, eggs, chicken, liver, garlic), plant chemicals called flavonoids (apples, onions), and magnesium (green leafy vegetables, nuts, whole grains, milk, and meats).