According to the webmd.com, COPD "refers to two long-term lung diseases -- chronic bronchitis and emphysema -- that often occur together. COPD makes it hard for you to breathe." That can be a fucking understatement. If you're lucky enough to have COPD (yes, that is sarcasm) you can run out of breath drying yourself off after a shower or simply walking up a flight of stairs. Common symptoms of this little winner, also from the above link, are as follows:
• A cough that doesn't go awayNow if reading the above has given you the shits, you may wish to do some private research into COPD and hui with your GP; regardless, as someone who suffers COPD I'm qualified to speak to it within a strength-training context, which is the focus here. However, if you're looking for an article that breaks COPD down, this isn't it. Like I said, that's something you'll need to research in your own time (check out the above links for starters).
• Coughing up lots of mucus
• Shortness of breath, especially when you're physically active (emphasis mine)
• Wheezing
• Tightness in the chest
What I have noticed is few if any online netspurts address exercise routines when you have COPD or better yet, how to exercise effectively whilst suffering COPD. It's not a esoteric mystery but it would be nice to have some pointers available. Before going any further it's important you realise that yes, you can still weight-train, run, walk, swim, cycle, paint your wife's titties -- basically exercise and stay healthy, as a COPD sufferer.
The key is tracking your breathing when exercising. When I'm at rest I've no problems breathing. But. When I'm physically active I need to make sure to stay on top of my breathing i.e. not allow myself to move into a state of increased breathlessness for longer periods. Why? Oh, I don't know, maybe so I don't have a heart attack and die. Shit like that. Whilst I'm sure you can appreciate my sense of humour (at least I hope you can) I am being serious.
You'll be amazed what happens to us when we can't breathe.
Things get serious fast.
...permanently
I won't be revealing any stunning new insights but I can share my own training philosophy of working out with COPD and how to safely push yourself so you're still making the best use of your time and effort. There are four basic, straight forward guide-lines you can take on-board right now which I've outlined below. Are these the sole, definitive, God-ordained guides carved in stone? No. But they've certainly helped me and I believe they'll assist you too.
1) Keep maximal or near-maximal effort to a minimum
This should be self-explanatory but I find I don't personally have an "off-switch". I find it too easy to push myself too far, too often. So when you're pushing max weights or close to, keep these efforts short, sharp and punchy. Don't drag this shit out. This could be as simple as taking 3-sets of 5 and flipping it into 5-sets of 3 (more on this further below). Just keep it short and sharp i.e. one max set and done.
You're better off lifting heavier weights for shorter durations with COPD; this type of lifting already has an enormous fan-base amongst lifters anyway -- and that's without suffering COPD or anything else for that matter. Does this mean you can't do high reps? No, you can still do high reps on your exercises of choice but, not to the degree you're constantly struggling to get air. There's a line between sensible and stupid which segues nicely into my second point.
2) Stay on top of your breathing
In other words, ensure you get adequate rest between sets, particularly when moving max amounts. Or high reps for that matter. This may mean you have to reduce the amount of exercises you incorporate, or tweak your program a little as forced rests will lengthen your work-out period. I don't give a shit. Stay on top of your breathing and stay alive. Trust me, it's a winner and the people who love you will agree with me.
From a cardio perspective, things like steady-state cardio are fine but if you're going to get all HIT on your ass, don't be a hero. Go hard out, back off immediately, get your breath back, go again. Depending upon how progressive, regressive or aggressive your COPD be, there may come a time when HIT is no longer an option. I don't know about that as I've not reached that point but I could see it eventuating. Just remember: keeping your heart-rate up is okay, but dying for oxygen? Not so much.
3) Consider moving to a program of triples, doubles and heavy singles
This is what I was touching on earlier and a program style I've been moving towards since 2019 to better cope with COPD whilst improving strength. I'm not saying you should do this but as I've reiterated time and time again, I'm not a bodybuilder and I suspect you're not either. My goal is to get stronger and stay as strong as possible. Strong muscles → strong body → life quality → family time.
Using triples, doubles and singles is a time-proven means of developing strength and in fact, is the basis for the majority of Olympic lifting programs. It's simple to incorporate: figure out your 1RM (the most weight you can move in a specific exercise) and that becomes the max single you work up towards. I work up to my max single once a fortnight. As you get stronger you can do 1-2 singles of said weight (read 7-Reasons to use Triples, Doubles and Singles).
4) Listen to your body
This is critical because what works for one may not work for another. It's a fine line between putting in a good quality effort where yes, you are left gasping for air -- and so you bloody should be! -- as opposed to collapsing from oxygen starvation. The only one whose ever going to know the difference between the two is you. Self-monitoring is essential. You need to work out how far you can safely go, how far you can physically push yourself, before backing off.
That means your rest days, the days you're not strength-training, need to be restful enough because fatigue is accumulative and you know what? Your heart is also a muscle and, like all muscles, can't function at maximum levels let alone near-maximum for extended periods of time. Your heart needs days off too. Go for a nice, low key walk, one of those walks where you can comfortably chat with another -- like the biddy with the purple rinse and mangy Schnauzer whose been giving you the eye. You know the one.
:: CONCLUSION
Some people may have COPD and employ full-on bodybuilding programs, no worries whatsoever. I'm not one of these. Some people may have COPD and be able to constantly push themselves using high-intensity effort. I'm not of those either. The point is, listen to your body. Stagger the experiment. Take your time. See what works. Don't be afraid to exercise because as mentioned, this will strengthen your entire cardiovascular system. Which is good. Be cautious and enjoy the process.
It's all about managing effects.
I ran with COPD, I still run with COPD, and I will run again in the future as a COPD sufferer. Running is great steady-state cardio and you build your endurance up over time. I listened to my breathing, what I was feeling, and allowed myself to progress slowly. Things as simple as reducing stride-length and slowing down on hills helped pace my times and distance. Simple, measurable things but always being self-aware at each stage, never running ragged. Do this. Kia ora whanau.
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