Exercise - The Necessary Therapy

If you have lung disease, the most important reason to exercise is to stay alive. Once that is established, there are many other ways that exercise helps maximize the quality of life for those with lung disease. These pages attempt to introduce you to this subject and motivate you to immediately start exercising. If you are pre-transplant, exercise is needed to strengthen your body for the coming surgical ordeal and to fight off lung infections and keep you out of the hospital until a donor lung is available.

If you are post-transplant, exercise is needed to maximize the natural protection against lung infections that it provides. This protection is especially critical because medications are given the post transplant patient to suppress his immune system. I very recently learned this from Second Wind "Transplant Game" athletes at a video shoot at the games.

Your physician's approval is required before you begin an exercise program. For some lung conditions, exercise is not beneficial and can actually hurt you. Be sure you are not in that class by discussing exercise with your physician. He will also determine the need for and amount of supplemental oxygen required for you to safely exercise.

Although the articles discuss thoughts on safely exercising at home, it is preferable that you be introduced to the concept in a pulmonary rehabilitation program. If, for some reason, your doctor or the local hospital are not able to tell you of a local pulmonary rehabilitation facility, please do not put off exercising. The articles discuss how to safely start out by yourself. You may also email me at any time to ask questions.

This page is linked to the "Exercise Information" section of my personal web site. Although I am the author of all of the published articles, members of Second Wind are, in fact, collaborators with me on all of my articles. This collaboration is the result of their continual feedback to my exercise posts on the internet mailing list that Second Wind members give me. Second Wind members also are most helpful when they share with me their exercise experiences. I could never have written the articles without them. To see the information in my web page concerning exercise, simply click on the treadmill walker below.

It is my hope that I will receive feedback from each reader of this page and the links by email (Just click on the mailbox below). I also will be most interested in any exercise experiences that you care to share with me and you can be sure that they will influence my future writings. I need that help from all of you to continue to provide meaningful exercise information. Stay Healthy!

Pre-Transplant
Pulmonary Rehab Programs
Pretransplant Pulmonary Rehabilitration (Exercise)
Exercise and keep active
Best Bone density exercises - 1
Best Bone density exercises - 2

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