Home Based Exercise Training

People with respiratory conditions who have commenced pulmonary rehabilitation should be encouraged to undertake a home exercise program concurrently with the supervised sessions of the pulmonary rehabilitation program.

The home exercise program should be:

  • Started within 1-2 weeks after commencing the supervised training program to allow any difficulties undertaking the home program to be discussed and resolved during the supervised period.
  • Performed on 2 or 3 days per week (i.e. in addition to the 2 or 3 days that the patient is attending the supervised training program). In total, the patient should exercise 4 or 5 days per week.

After the pulmonary rehabilitation program is completed, patients should be encouraged to follow a home exercise program exercise  for a total of 4 or 5 days per week. The home exercise program may include attendance at a supervised maintenance exercise class if available (see Maintenance section).

All participants should be given a home-exercise booklet that includes descriptions and pictures of suitable exercises and an exercise diary to complete.  Lung Foundation has developed a home exercise handbook Better Living with Exercise – Your Personal Guide

The home based exercise training program should consist of:
Walking for 30 minutes daily - at the same pace as during the pulmonary rehabilitation program (3 to 4 on the 1-10 Borg Dyspnoea Scale). For some people it is necessary to perform two or three smaller walks per day e.g., 10 minutes walking x 3, or 15-minutes walking x 2 with the aim to increase to continuous duration of 30 mins.
Strength exercise (as a circuit) should be encouraged at least three days per week - similar exercises that are performed during the pulmonary rehabilitation program.
It is important to progress the home-exercises at the same time as the exercises are progressed during the pulmonary rehabilitation program.

Tip: In some areas, where the climate is extremely hot or cold, or very humid/windy the local climate-controlled shopping mall may provide a suitable environment for walking training.

The home training program should include the following advice to patients:
If unwell (e.g., flu, chest infection) or within 1-2 hours of eating a main meal consider delaying exercise.
Stop and rest if you develop any symptoms that are not normal for you, such as: excessive shortness of breath; chest, neck or arm pain (stop immediately and seek medical advice); excessive fatigue; dizziness, nausea, light-headedness; irregular heart beat or palpitations.

For those with bronchiectasis, completion of an airway clearance routine in conjunction with home exercise should be maintained.

The Toolkit

Getting Started
Getting Started
Patient Assessment
Patient Assessment
Exercise Training
Exercise Training
Patient Education
Patient Education
Patient Re-assessment
Patient Re-Assessment
Additional Resources
Additional Resources

Endorsed by the following organisations according to their respective approved criteria: