What is pulmonary rehabilitation?

Pulmonary rehab combines different treatments to help you reduce your symptoms and stay as active and healthy as possible. You'll work with a care team that includes doctors, nurses, dietitians, and therapists. You'll learn techniques to help you breathe better. Your team will help you be active, eat healthy, and quit smoking if needed. You can learn easier ways to do daily tasks such as dressing, grocery shopping, and walking.

Exercise training may include activities such as walking or using a stationary bike. It may also include muscle-strengthening exercises for your arms and legs. Your care team will help you create an exercise program that's a good fit for you.

Problems with muscle weakness and weight loss can happen with severe breathing problems. So eating healthy is important. It helps you keep up your strength and health. And it helps you stay at a healthy weight.

Depending on what lung condition you have, pulmonary rehab may:

• Ease symptoms such as shortness of breath and feeling tired.
• Help you stay out of the hospital.
• Give you more control over your condition.
• Help you manage the emotional effects of having a lung problem.
• Help improve the quality of your life.
• Help you lead a more active life.
• Help you feel better and live longer.
• Decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression.

There is little or no risk to these programs if they are well supervised.

Pulmonary rehabilitation ("rehab" for short) is a program to help people with breathing problems. It uses education, exercise, and support. Your program is designed based on your abilities, health needs, and goals.

Your doctor may suggest pulmonary rehab if you have ongoing lung problems such as COPD. It can help you manage your condition and be more active. Rehab can help you feel better and have a better quality of life. It can also help you breathe better.

An ongoing pulmonary rehabilitation (rehab) program can help you function better over the long term. Each program should set short-term and long-term goals to help you keep track of changes and successes. This makes sure that the program continues to meet your needs.

You'll work with a care team that includes doctors, nurses, dietitians, and therapists. You and your team will set goals to meet your needs.

There are different kinds of pulmonary rehab programs. Some are done in the hospital. Some are done at home.

Your team will help you be active, eat healthy, and quit smoking if you need to. You can learn easier ways to do daily tasks such as dressing, grocery shopping, and walking.

Your team will create an exercise program that's a good fit for you. Exercises may include walking or riding a stationary bike. You may also do exercises to make your arms and legs stronger.

Rehab programs will also include education for both you and your family. You will learn about your lung condition. You'll learn how it progresses and how it is best treated. This can make it easier to live with and manage the condition.