Exercise Training

Maintaining the Gains

To maintain the improvements in exercise capacity and quality of life after the completion of a pulmonary rehabilitation program, patients should be encouraged to continue to exercise 4 to 5 days per week. The exact frequency of supervised exercise as a maintenance program is unclear, however supervised maintenance programs of monthly or less frequently are not sufficient to maintain the gains of pulmonary rehabilitation. (ANZ PR Guideline, 2017). People with severe physical limitations (multiple co-morbid conditions and / or frequent hospital admissions) may benefit from a longer pulmonary rehabilitation program.

Options for maintenance exercise programs:

• Attending a supervised exercise program in a health facility, community or hospital outpatient setting e.g. Lungs in Action in the local area, plus follow an unsupervised home-based program
• Following an unsupervised home exercise program with regular review (e.g. every 3 to 6 months) at the pulmonary rehabilitation program, Unsupervised home-exercise training. (Spencer et al, 2019)

Tips: 

• Encourage patients to continue to exercise after pulmonary rehabilitation 4 to 5 days per week
• Encourage weekly involvement in community exercise programs e.g., Lungs in Action
• Monthly supervised exercise is not enough
• Regular review and reassessment keeps people on track (e.g. reassessment every 3 to 6 months)
• For people who have an exacerbation of COPD (managed at home) and have previously completed a pulmonary rehabilitation program, consider booster sessions (supervised exercise training for a few weeks in pulmonary rehabilitation program).¹
• Encourage people to join a local Support Group.