exercise routine?

[skate4life]

Just curious - I don't read members talk about their exercise. Does anyone do it? On a regular basis? At home? At a Gym? Watching dvds or YouTube? Do you have your own equipment - treadmill, weights, rubber bands? Do you just walk? How long? Do you note your distance or time?

Do you think it is a waste of time? Do you think your daily activities are enough? Did anyone ask you to do a Pulmonary Rehab program? If so, did it help you? Was it too far away? Too expensive?

I'm just curious - no judgement, but I don't want to bore people if I mention my exercise.

[David]

I pay the hospital $30 a month to use their equipment. There is a respiratory nurse there monitoring. I can choose which machine and go as long as want on it. They have pretty much everything. It gets me out of the house. Open 5 days a week. I try and go Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday.

[gerald]

I started exercising again in January.
I have my own treadmill.  I try and do that every second day. 
I am working to expand the length, the speed and time walking hands free.

Currently up to about 1 mile, 1.8 MPH, for 35 minutes.   I usually have to stop once to twice to reduce the SOB.

It does make a difference in leg strength,  and helps keep my lungs clear.  

I did start out doing it daily but then seemed to lack the energy to get anything else done!

 

[skate4life]

Yup, I finally dropped to every other day. Also I found that if I tried to do 2 or 3 days in a row, my ability on the treadmill plummeted. I do add arm exercises one TM day and legs & leg stretches on the next TM day. You are doing great! Recently I just can't seem to get past 1.2 and no longer than 25 min - on a good day   Even that takes me 2 hours.[/p]

[gerald]

Once I have been able to achieve a speed I try to lengthen my stride a bit and after a week or so go up one notice  ie from 1.4 to 1.5 mph.   I am struggling getting from 1.8 to 1.9.     While I have done the entire length without stopping, I feel more comfortable if I stop for a couple of minutes at about half way to just catch my breath.

The walking with hands free, just hanging by my side, is a bit of a challenge as well, it puts a load on the heart!

I find I have to do the exercise first thing in the morning otherwise I just don't seem to get it done!

[jarca]

i think exercise is so important to keep for both my 02 & keeping 'fit' as possible. 

I'd love to attend a pulmonary rehab but don't have one near me. 
I was sent to physical therapy (PT) a few times before & after my neck surgery. ( a few years ago) Medicare paid a big portion of that or I wouldn't have been able to afford it. 
I'm glad I had that opportunity, as i did learn a lot on how to properly exercise (build up slowly, while watching my 02) & i was able to try all the differnent types of machines=== which i found i liked walking on the treadmill best. 

So I did 'invest' in an inexpensive department store treadmill and am so glad i did. I also have a 'peddler' thing that my mom had. When I went to  PT they gave me a list of exercises with pictures how to do them correctly. (so yes i have my own stuff as going to the 'gym' here is expensive & unlike PT i feel out of place with all those 'fit' people; not to mention being exposed to virus' in the winter as our gym has a 'playroom' so people bring their kids)

I hate to say it, but i am horrible about doing a routine type of exercise; boring! i try to do treadmill & a few exercises every day, but it usually ends up every other day lately. I would much rather 'exercise' in a way that accomplishes getting something done (like if i vacuum or mop, i skip the treadmill & count the cleaning as exercise for the day)
I really got out of shape this winter & so glad I started making myself do the treadmill again once it dawned on me how much i was just sitting.
I had to take it a few minutes a few times a day, but was finally able to work up to a time & speed that i was happy to be able to do & my 02 would stay up fairly well for the duration of it.  (i finally got up to about 20-30 minutes at 1.6-2.0mph---not sure my speedometer is right on it as 2mph seems fast for as slow as i feel i'm going)

now I am doing more outdoors while the weather is 'not too hot & not too cold)---so glad i did treadmill or i wouldn't be able to do the 'bits' i do each day outside.
each year i seem to get slower & each year it seems i can't do some jobs any more and have to ask others for help (or just see it not get done); but i keep trying to do what i can because i'm not ready to quit yet.

How bout you? do you go out to a gym? do you have your own equipment? have you ever done rehab? was it like PT & 10 covered by medicare? ---your turn! 

[joany]

Mar 30, 2018 17:54:13 GMT -5 jarca said:

i think exercise is so important to keep for both my 02 & keeping 'fit' as possible. 
...
I hate to say it, but i am horrible about doing a routine type of exercise; boring! i try to do treadmill & a few exercises every day, but it usually ends up every other day lately. I would much rather 'exercise' in a way that accomplishes getting something done (like if i vacuum or mop, i skip the treadmill & count the cleaning as exercise for the day)
...                                                                                                                                                                                                           
each year i seem to get slower & each year it seems i can't do some jobs any more and have to ask others for help (or just see it not get done); but i keep trying to do what i can because i'm not ready to quit yet.

How bout you? do you go out to a gym? do you have your own equipment? have you ever done rehab? was it like PT & 10 covered by medicare? ---your turn!

I know how important exercise is, but I don't do it.  Curses!!  I've done rehab post-hospitalizations.  I also needed at home therapy after hospitalization.   I'm with you in the "purposeful state" i.e. I always need a mission else it is so boring.  I have a rowing machine, but I also have excuses for crowding the area around the machine.  And who suffers.  I remember one of the members from a previous group set up a sort of accountability post - I'll give this some thought.  Hmmmmm Reminds me - "This above all - to thine ownself be true." 

[skate4life]

Jarca - I will be interested to see if you notice a difference by giving up your 20 min of treadmill (you really did super going from zero and 10 minutes - I was really proud of you!) and just using ADLs for exercise. It doesn't work as well for me. I decondition literally within days if I don't do something for more than 4 days....especially treadmill. We are all different in needs of our body.

I turned one upstairs bedroom into my exercise room with a treadmill, 2 & 3.3 lb weights, rubber bands are my mainstay. I also have a TV in there that I can watch while on the treadmill, etc. I use one of my kitchen chairs to sit for doing my arm weights and to put my legs up onto to stretch my hamstrings and to hold onto the back for calf stretches. I also found that keeping my ironing board up was a great height for stabilizing me as I do my leg lifts. I also have 2 lb weights and rubber bands I keep in the kitchen (with TV) for those set backs after being sick to restart my stamina, and walk the hallway front door to kitchen sink (25 ft. round trip.) My 10L concentrator lives in the other bedroom so easy to crank it up to 6 lpm. I learned to figure skate at 40 yr. (gad, that is over 30 years ago!!) and that is when I put together this room and had a personal trainer develop an exercise program for me. I skated for almost 10 years until I needed a cervical disc fusion. But since COPD came about, I can't do any thing on the floor, even stretches. It is way too hard to get down and back...can't do bathtub for same reason.

Yes, I did pul rehab but it was a horrible program. I continued in the maintenance section with the NuStep, arm ergometer and simple chair & standing exercises. Tough to use their treadmill as so many did not have access to one and there were several who would stay on too long. After a year in/out of hospital and change in directors, I just gave it up and stayed at home with my room.

Ok, enough of my background. I hope we hear from others.....Gerald I am very impressed and inspired by your post.

[David]

[jarca]

what is ADL's?

[skate4life]

ADL - activities of daily living

[gerald]

Jarca, I know what you mean about the boredom factor in using treadmill etc.   

That is probably one reason I am struggle with that 35 min of activity, by that time the boredom just makes me want to get off of the treadmill!  Also, probably why I have to get the exercise done first thing before I wake up too much!!

I had one of the Department store treadmills, it lasted for 12-14 years.  It just finally started to fall apart.  I also found that they speed controls were not fine enough to allow you to just push that little extra.    When it broke I decided to try a bit sturdier machine.


Unfortunately the Pulmonary Rehab is not offered anywhere close. It appears it was cancelled by the health authority a few years ago. I guess COPD was too much of a silent minority!  The local Better Breathing group is trying to set up a COPD type program at one of the Recreation centers.

[skate4life]

Gerald - what about a radio? or perhaps one of those thingies that you can put your own music on and use ear buds to listen. Or a machine that you could listen to a book on tape. I know it is a bore. Sometimes, I don't have any noise and just let my mine drift...... You could shorten your time (limit it to 20 min) by increasing your speed.... do you participate in the Better Breathing Club that you mentioned?

[gerald]

Apr 1, 2018 8:45:02 GMT -5 skate4life said:

Gerald - what about a radio? or perhaps one of those thingies that you can put your own music on and use ear buds to listen. Or a machine that you could listen to a book on tape. I know it is a bore. Sometimes, I don't have any noise and just let my mine drift...... You could shorten your time (limit it to 20 min) by increasing your speed.... do you participate in the Better Breathing Club that you mentioned?

I watch TV while I am on the treadmill, but that is what makes it tolerable for 35 min. 
I am slowly trying to increase the speed.   I thought from this point I would play with the speed, and add a bit of incline, maybe leave the time at what it is.

I have just started with the Better Breathers group so not that familiar with it.  They are still setting up the program.  They have managed to get the Lions Club to donate an Oxygen Concentrator that will handle two people so people who need the oxygen will have it there.    So today I have not gotten involved with their program.

[jarca]

I also watched TV while i did treadmill, until that old tv kept freezing up---so I charged up the kindle & read that---I do like the kindle that I can set BIG letters so i can read without getting a headache.
as I still have my big area to spray, ADL's is going to have to be my excersise for awhile....my biceps sure are feeling it so I guess my arms are getting their exercise.
will finish the last of my shed yard today with sterilizer---i keep looking at 'the big yard' & it seems so overwhelming---i couldn't figure out why, until i did the math & the 200x200 yard is almost 1 square acre in itself!----my house yard, driveway & shed yard are 1/2 what that 1 yard is!!!! 
oh well, a bit at a time & I can't let my brain start overthinking things or i overwhelm myself.

i may just finish the shed yard today & put off big yard to next week after kids come---that way i can get house in order.
Love this nice weather; nellie gets groomed wednesday so even dog gets a good spring cleaning

[sharon]

I went through pulm rehab, but they dont have it set up here where you can keep going. I try to walk almost every day but it sort of depends on weather. I wish I had room here for a treadmill. I have a stationary bike and arm hand weights. I try to use a couple times a week, but gets boring and with the shortness of breath I need to stop to catch my breath. But they say exercise is a good thing and keeps you from getting sob. I have a problem not wanting to do because gasping for breath is so uncomfortable

[skate4life]

Sharon, I think it is great that you do continue to use your bike and weights in spite of your struggles with shortness of breath (something your posts mention frequently.) Yes, exercise is boring but with how you do your exercise, review of purse lip breathing and how to find ways to make the exercising work for you, you may find you don't get so short of breath. Yes, ideally everyone wants a treadmill but many found ways to exercise long before treadmills became 'the thing.' There are some good videos on YouTube standing, sitting, combo of both, all less than 30 minutes.

Is there a chance you can do another round of Pulmonary Rehab? Might you be a little depressed or not eating well enough? Talk to us here and maybe someone can give you few hints to recharge your batteries

[sharon]

Thanks skate, I do use pursed lip breathing all the time. It has become my normal to do a walk or bike and have to stop to catch my breath then go again.  I may get depressed at times, I hate living with the sob guess I am just progressing. I do not think Medicare will pay to go back to rehab as I did it last year. I think they will only pay for 1 time, unless you are admitted to hospital. I do the best I can with walks, bike and hand weights. One problem I have is being pretty much alone.

[jade]

Sharon, recently lady from my post rehab told me she wishes to spend the rest of her life alone away from all the problems that her family is giving her.She is seriously considering going back to UK.Hopefully this will bring you smile.I go nearly every Tuesday for my rehab class.It is reasonably priced 7 dollars.