2023-05-25 13:50:59
Patients with chronic or acute lung diseases tend to lack of exercise and relieving posture. What can lung sports do – and has it already arrived in everyday medical practice?
The medical approach that physical activity can also be beneficial in lung diseases is not new. Already in 1999 the AG lung sports with the aim of supporting the positive effects of sport on patients with chronic lung diseases. With success: There are 2,200 lung sports groups, the program is part of medical guidelines and is integrated into the legally stipulated form of rehabilitation sports.
Anyone considering their patients for the programs should, in addition to the necessary initial examination, also meet certain exclusion criteria (e.g. coronary heart disease, cardiac arrhythmia, Unstable bronchial asthma or acute Thrombosis) test. If the severity of impairment from primary respiratory disease is not a reason that therapy to start, programs are suitable for a large number of clinical pictures. Among them: bronchial asthma, COPDinterstitial lung diseases, cystic fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension.
The pneumologists attach great importance to the fact that after the exclusion criteria have been checked, precautionary measures must be observed when participating and that the programs have to be created individually – even if they are subsequently carried out on an outpatient basis. In the e-journal “Ambulatory lung sports and physical training in patients with respiratory and pulmonary diseases“, the AG Lung Sports and the German Airway League drew attention to these special cases:
- Group training is problematic in patients with cystic fibrosis because of the risk of infection.
- Patients with severe pulmonary hypertension should rather not participate in the sports program due to the risk of right heart decompensation.
- COPD patients with ventilatory insufficiency should lung sport initially participate in an accompanied inpatient rehabilitation.
It’s not about playing Bundesliga
Irrespective of the illness and sports program, the following applies to all patients: Overexertion should be avoided – lung sports are not about becoming a professional athlete. Instead, an improvement in strength, endurance, mobility and coordination should be achieved, a reduction in shortness of breath and exacerbations achieved, thereby ensuring improved quality of life, fewer hospital stays and social inclusion. The sports program provides for training elements divided into phases, which include strength and endurance exercises as well as coordination exercises and respiratory therapy. Classic sports such as swimming, walking, dancing, skiing, cycling or jogging can, for example, COPD also be suitable; However, games, competitions and martial arts should be avoided or severely restricted. According to experts, one to two units per week are sufficient to achieve positive effects of the training. For noticeable long-term effects but need more.
Patients with acute symptoms also benefit from sport. so can endurance sports lead to a reduction in respiratory rate, an increase in the gas exchange surface and economization of ventilation. In the case of acute patients, it is also important to point out possible chronifications that could be prevented through sport. Once the patient’s intrinsic motivation has been aroused, the next pitfall is already lurking.
Air Pollution: Another opponent
If you have just put together a tailor-made sports program for your patients, it is an advantage to also clarify the best environment for sports. As part of a Study For example, British researchers have shown that physical activity in the fresh air can also backfire: This is bad news, especially for city dwellers. Anyone who does sports near busy roads and in inner cities runs an increased risk of inhaling pollutants. This risk for Bronchospasmenasthma and other lung diseases also exist from exposure to chlorine in swimming pools or exposure to nitrogen oxides and particulate matter from ice hockey or figure skating.
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“Short-term exposure to traffic pollution prevents the beneficial cardiopulmonary effects of walking in people with COPD, ischemic heart disease, and those without chronic cardiopulmonary disease,” the study authors said. It is therefore important to find the fine line as to who can do what, when and where in terms of physical activity.
The offer has to be better
Although the range of lung sports is growing, rehabilitation sports for other chronic diseases, such as heart diseases, are already much further along. In addition to lung sports, there are also the possibilities of device-supported physiotherapy and lung physiotherapy; a sports concept with the possibility of continuing exercises in private could offer a more lasting effect.
Image source: Jakob Owens, Unsplash
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