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Breathing Exercises and Home Pulmonary Rehabilitation for COPD
Pursed-lip breathing, diaphragmatic breathing and airway clearance techniques that ease breathlessness in COPD, plus the scope and benefits of home pulmonary rehabilitation.
COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is a progressive lung disease with narrowed airways and lung damage, mostly caused by smoking. Breathlessness leads people to avoid activity, which weakens muscles and makes breathlessness worse. Pulmonary rehabilitation is an evidence-based programme that breaks this cycle.
Benefits: less breathlessness, better exercise capacity and endurance, fewer hospital admissions, less anxiety and depression and better quality of life.
Pursed-lip breathing
- Relax your shoulders.
- Breathe in through the nose for two seconds.
- Purse your lips as if blowing out a candle.
- Breathe out slowly for four seconds, about twice as long as breathing in.
Diaphragmatic breathing
- Lie or sit comfortably, one hand on the chest, one on the abdomen.
- Breathe in through the nose so the abdomen rises while the chest stays still.
- Breathe out through pursed lips as the abdomen falls.
- Practise 5–10 minutes several times a day.
In advanced COPD this may be tiring for some; your physiotherapist will advise.
| Technique | How |
|---|---|
| Huffing | Deep breath, then exhale forcefully with an open mouth ("haa") |
| Controlled cough | Sit leaning forward, deep breath, two short strong coughs |
| Active cycle of breathing | Relaxed breathing, deep breaths and huffing in sequence |
| Positioning | Drainage positions on professional advice |
| Oscillating devices | Vibration during exhalation to loosen mucus |
Exercise
- Endurance: walking or a stationary bike at moderate breathlessness.
- Strength: light weights or resistance bands.
- Upper limb exercises for daily tasks.
- Energy conservation: sit for tasks, spread activities, exert while breathing out.
Monitor oxygen saturation; patients on oxygen should use their prescribed flow during exercise. Stop for chest pain, severe breathlessness, dizziness or palpitations.
Correct inhaler technique is critical and is checked during visits, with nebuliser and concentrator training.
Increased breathlessness, changes in sputum, fever, blue lips or confusion may signal an exacerbation: follow your action plan and call 112 for severe symptoms.
We provide home respiratory physiotherapy and pulmonary rehabilitation across Yalova, with support for oxygen concentrators and nebulisers, and sessions in Bursa, Istanbul and Kocaeli–Gebze.
