My Journey with COPD & Exercise
Posted on November 05, 2018 |
Debbie Daro is a COPD patient and State Captain from New Jersey. As an advocate she has participated in research initiatives, advocacy efforts with her local, state, and federal officials, and regularly spreads awareness about COPD through local health fairs. To learn more about the COPD Foundation State Captain program, click here!
What is your connection with COPD? What is your COPD story?
I was diagnosed by my primary care provider with COPD in 2013. I had been feeling sick for several years leading up the diagnosis but like many smokers I kept living in denial until one day I had no choice but to see a doctor. A primary care provider diagnosed me with a chest x-ray but didn’t talk to me about COPD or provide me with any educational materials. I was prescribed a couple of inhalers, told to quit smoking, and the appointment was over.
I continued to smoke for two more years until one day when I was rushed in to see a cardiologist. I knew at that point that I had run out of time and I had to start making lifestyle changes immediately. I quit smoking the day before my first nuclear stress test. A few weeks later I found a tobacco cessation support group. The counselor there expressed concerned that I had yet to see a pulmonologist or have a pulmonary function test. On the second visit she handed me a list of pulmonologists. I had to wait a bit for an appointment but when I finally saw a pulmonologist and had my first pulmonary function test I was diagnosed with early stage 4 COPD.
How did you get involved with the COPD Foundation?
Because my primary care provider never gave me any information on COPD I went online to learn what I could on my own. That is how I found the COPD Foundation website. What initially caught my attention were the high ratings it had received, the website had won a best COPD blog award. Right away it was clear that the COPD Foundation site had reliable, trustworthy information. I also found a lot of support and answers to my questions on the 360Social forum. I owe a lot to some of the people at the COPD Foundation; they really helped me when I needed it most. The respiratory therapists that monitor the forum are always there to answer questions and help in any way they can. The RTs participation in the forum is something I really appreciate.
What has exercise done for your COPD? How has it helped?
What I do in the gym translates into real life situations. You may see dumbbells but I see grocery bags. Doing squats, means that I can continue to climb the stairs. I can’t emphasize enough how much exercise has benefited me and improved my quality of life. Through strength training and cardio I am able to do so much more, the improvement in my functional ability is surprising, more than I had expected. Five years ago I would get short of breath just getting up to get a glass of water from the kitchen. Today one of the exercises I do is to pick up a 25lb weight in each hand and walk back and forth across the gym floor as fast as I can. It exercises all the muscles I use to get groceries out of the car and into the house. The very first time I did this exercise I used 5lb weights and walked maybe 20 feet but I stuck with it, constantly challenging myself. Rebuilding some of my strength has made grocery shopping a whole lot easier and as a result, I am eating healthier food.
Did you participate in a pulmonary rehabilitation program, and if so what was it like?
My pulmonologist referred me to a pulmonary rehabilitation program which is where my motivation for exercise first began. I would very strongly recommend pulmonary rehab for all COPD patients. In pulmonary rehab I was hooked up to telemetry where I was closely monitored by healthcare professionals. I felt safe, and comfortable, knowing that people are right there to help you and support me. Exercise for a COPD patient can be intimidating, pulmonary rehabilitation gives you a safe place to work through that. It teaches you how to monitor your oxygen saturation and teaches you breathing techniques to use while exercising. In addition to building up your tolerance for exertion, it also helps you to build up your confidence. A few months after pulmonary rehab my pulmonologist had me do a pulmonary exercise program where I worked with a physiologist and a respiratory therapist doing strength training. That program really made a big difference in my quality of life and has had a big influence on the exercise I do today.
What is your typical exercise routine?
I believe the current exercise recommendation is 30 mins of aerobic every day and strength training 2 times a week. I deviate from that a little bit. I still work full time but I manage to exercise at a fitness center about 5 times a week, averaging 1.5 hours during the week and a bit longer on the weekends. I always start with 30 mins on the stationary bike for my aerobic element. For strength I use a variety of things; TRX suspension training, dumbbells, kettlebells and a variety of weight machines. I also use the TRX suspension straps for dynamic stretching and balancing exercises. Recently my pulmonologist encouraged me to do interval training which I have found to be extremely effective. I do intervals on the stationary bike, as intense as I can tolerate. I also do some kettlebell interval training, or at least as close to kettlebell HIIT as someone with my lung function can get. Achieving that higher intensity, even if it is just for a short bursts still has a lot of health benefits.
For newly diagnosed patients who want to get moving but may feel intimidated, what advice would you have for them to get started?
I know that exercise can be intimidating, I never imagined myself doing it. At first exercise seems completely counter intuitive, it seems like the last thing in the world that you should be doing. In reality it is the exact opposite, exercise is one of the most important things you can do to help yourself. If you have access to pulmonary rehab, that is the best way to get started. The respiratory therapists in pulmonary rehab are wonderful, they can help you to work through your fears and apprehensions helping you to get up and moving again. They will guide you on how to gradually increase the degree of exertion showing you how to manage your breathing, watch your O2 saturation, heart rate and blood pressure. If pulmonary rehab is not available in your area you can still exercise, talk to your doctors about other options including exercising at home. The danger isn’t in exercising; the danger lies in not exercising.