Guest guest Posted July 4, 2009 Report Share Posted July 4, 2009 Beth, What are some safe aerobic exercises that I can do at home? What about any type of weight resistance exercises. Would they help? I know questions, questions, questions, but how else will I learn:) Adrienne Subject: Re: puzzeledTo: Breathe-Support Date: Saturday, July 4, 2009, 1:51 AM Joyce, I'm not certain why your respiratory therapist told you that you don't need and should not do aerobic exercise. Perhaps she's more concerned with stablizing your breathing right now and teaching you how to cope with the new restrictions. There is a definite learning curve to all this and we all go through it. The breathing that she is teaching you (in through the nose, out through the mouth) is something most of us have learned. I find it extremely helpful in bringing my sats back up quickly if they drop for some reason (over-exertion or having my O2 set too low). Your heart rate goes up when you move around for one very simple reason. Your lungs can transfer a limited amount of oxygen to your blood. In order to supply all parts of your body with that oxygen when it's needed (like when you move around) it has to beat faster. One of the advantages of aerobic exercise (when done safely) is that it gets your heart into the best possible condition to be able to get blood to all parts of your body efficiently. My heart rate used to jump like yours does into the 120's and 130's on exertion. Three years of regular, safe aerobic exercise (with lots of supplemental oxygen) have brought that into the 100's to 110. My pulmo is happy, my cardiologist is happy and my heart is probably happy too! Practise the breathing, that's all it's going to take. You have to learn to concentrate, slow down and breathe. Practise, practise, practise. It's a new habit to learn. Many of us (myself included) were very used to rushing everywhere we went, doing things quickly and doing everything for ourselves. Those days are over Joyce. You simply must force yourself to slow down and breathe. It's not easy but one hour, one day at a time you will learn it. My only area of concern is this. I would suggest you discuss with your respiratory therapist the fact that you have a restrictive lung disease and not an obstructive lung disease. Pulmonary fibrosis regardless of the cause is restrictive, we have more trouble inhaling. Obstructive lung diseases are things like emphysema, COPD and asthma. These folks in addition to other issues have difficulty exhaling completely. This makes their concerns about oxygen use very different from yours and most RT's are much much more familiar with obstructive lung disease so just make sure that this person is very familiar with restrictive lung diseases and is giving you accurate information for YOU. Beth Moderator Fibrotic NSIP 06/06 Dermatomyositis 11/08 From: JOYCE RUDY <greycharlie@ q.com>To: Breathe-Support <Breathe-Support@ yahoogroups. com>Sent: Friday, July 3, 2009 3:25:55 PMSubject: puzzeled I went to see the respitory therapist yesterday afternoon and she gave me a few tests and I found out some interesting things. First, I found out why you must breathe IN thru your nose and out thru your mouth. Important to do that. I am having a very hard time doing that. Then I found out that on room air if I am talking my 02 drops to 87 when it used to be at 91-92. Next she took me for a walk with air. She told me the reason I start to pant when I walk is not because my stats are dropping below 90 but my heart rate at rest is 82 and when I walk 5-10 feet at a slow rate it jumps to 138. she told me I do not need aerobic exercise! She said I get aerobic exercise just walking from the bedroom to the living room. she said she didn't know how I was doing aquafit. She said I have to learn to breath right and I just can't seem to co-ordinate this- and to do things slower. Very slow. Well, now I understand why even though I have a 93 o2 I am still panting. I wonder why my heart is speeding so much. I don't have heart disease. She says my stats are up when I walk because I am hyperventilating In order to do it. I am really confused as to how my heart rate could be so high and my stats up....Joyce Rudy AZ Birds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 4, 2009 Report Share Posted July 4, 2009 Adrienne, This seems like a really simple question but truthfully it's very complex. It's impossible for me to say exactly what would be safe for you to do. I learned what would work for me when I did pulmonary rehabilitation back in 2006. I use the treadmill but need large amounts of oxygen to be able to do it. (10 liters with a venti-mask, not canulla) This is what keeps my sats over 90. I also learned a 20 minute routine with light hand weights that I continue to do to this day. But this is what works for me given my lung function and how my body reacts to exertion. I would strongly recommend that you look into pulmonary rehab. While the qualities of programs vary widely across the country. Almost any program can be helpful. If you don't have access to a program then the most important thing I can tell you is keep your O2 saturation above 90. If you walk the treadmill, check your sats. Ride a bike? check your sats. Don't let your sat drop below 90. That's the danger zone. Below that for more than a couple of minutes and you begin to sustain organ damage. It's that important. Be cautious and go slow. Hope that helps! Beth Moderator Fibrotic NSIP 06/06 Dermatomyositis 11/08 To: Breathe-Support Sent: Saturday, July 4, 2009 3:33:10 PMSubject: Re: puzzeled Beth, What are some safe aerobic exercises that I can do at home? What about any type of weight resistance exercises. Would they help? I know questions, questions, questions, but how else will I learn:) Adrienne From: Beth <mbmurtha (AT) yahoo (DOT) com>Subject: Re: puzzeledTo: Breathe-Support@ yahoogroups. comDate: Saturday, July 4, 2009, 1:51 AM Joyce, I'm not certain why your respiratory therapist told you that you don't need and should not do aerobic exercise. Perhaps she's more concerned with stablizing your breathing right now and teaching you how to cope with the new restrictions. There is a definite learning curve to all this and we all go through it. The breathing that she is teaching you (in through the nose, out through the mouth) is something most of us have learned. I find it extremely helpful in bringing my sats back up quickly if they drop for some reason (over-exertion or having my O2 set too low). Your heart rate goes up when you move around for one very simple reason. Your lungs can transfer a limited amount of oxygen to your blood. In order to supply all parts of your body with that oxygen when it's needed (like when you move around) it has to beat faster. One of the advantages of aerobic exercise (when done safely) is that it gets your heart into the best possible condition to be able to get blood to all parts of your body efficiently. My heart rate used to jump like yours does into the 120's and 130's on exertion. Three years of regular, safe aerobic exercise (with lots of supplemental oxygen) have brought that into the 100's to 110. My pulmo is happy, my cardiologist is happy and my heart is probably happy too! Practise the breathing, that's all it's going to take. You have to learn to concentrate, slow down and breathe. Practise, practise, practise. It's a new habit to learn. Many of us (myself included) were very used to rushing everywhere we went, doing things quickly and doing everything for ourselves. Those days are over Joyce. You simply must force yourself to slow down and breathe. It's not easy but one hour, one day at a time you will learn it. My only area of concern is this. I would suggest you discuss with your respiratory therapist the fact that you have a restrictive lung disease and not an obstructive lung disease. Pulmonary fibrosis regardless of the cause is restrictive, we have more trouble inhaling. Obstructive lung diseases are things like emphysema, COPD and asthma. These folks in addition to other issues have difficulty exhaling completely. This makes their concerns about oxygen use very different from yours and most RT's are much much more familiar with obstructive lung disease so just make sure that this person is very familiar with restrictive lung diseases and is giving you accurate information for YOU. Beth Moderator Fibrotic NSIP 06/06 Dermatomyositis 11/08 From: JOYCE RUDY <greycharlie@ q.com>To: Breathe-Support <Breathe-Support@ yahoogroups. com>Sent: Friday, July 3, 2009 3:25:55 PMSubject: puzzeled I went to see the respitory therapist yesterday afternoon and she gave me a few tests and I found out some interesting things. First, I found out why you must breathe IN thru your nose and out thru your mouth. Important to do that. I am having a very hard time doing that. Then I found out that on room air if I am talking my 02 drops to 87 when it used to be at 91-92. Next she took me for a walk with air. She told me the reason I start to pant when I walk is not because my stats are dropping below 90 but my heart rate at rest is 82 and when I walk 5-10 feet at a slow rate it jumps to 138. she told me I do not need aerobic exercise! She said I get aerobic exercise just walking from the bedroom to the living room. she said she didn't know how I was doing aquafit. She said I have to learn to breath right and I just can't seem to co-ordinate this- and to do things slower. Very slow. Well, now I understand why even though I have a 93 o2 I am still panting. I wonder why my heart is speeding so much. I don't have heart disease. She says my stats are up when I walk because I am hyperventilating In order to do it. I am really confused as to how my heart rate could be so high and my stats up....Joyce Rudy AZ Birds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 4, 2009 Report Share Posted July 4, 2009 Now I understand, B eth. I will try hard to remember to breath correctly. It is hard though. I have found if I open my mouth and place my tongue to the roof when I inhale I can automatically exhale correctly but it is taking a lot of patience. I think part of my problem is that I have been inactive for a couple of months because of the biopsy and now I'm back in the pool and walking the dogs and I think I will get better. Buy at least she understood things like I am eating more sandwich's and TV dinners....She understood and when I told her that sometimes I get busy and cook, cook cook she told me to save the yogurt containers and little containers like that and make a chuck roast in the crock pot and then put some in the little containers and they make a perfect size for a serving and can be frozen. You can use the meat for Taco's or stir fry or just for a meal....That was a useful suggestion because I like taco's and burrito's but cooking the meat is overwhelming and on those days I cannot cook just taking one of these containers out and microwaving it will make a perfect burrito or taco! Also, she says to keep beans around and some shredded cheese because if you are really, really tired. You can take a couple of Tablespoons of black beans (any bean you like) put a bit of shredded cheese on it and microwave it and it is a good nutritious dinner. She suggested that when I can cook, or make things like egg salad and tuna salad, that I make more then what I can eat and keep it in the freezer or in the fridge because the next day I might just not be so able to due it. She also said I will have to relearn shopping. When I go to the store, buy what I need for 3 days and bring it home. I was telling her that when I go to the store I have so much stuff I can barely bring it in and put it away and as a matter of fact in my car right now is a bunch of fruit and vegetable that I have not had the energy to get out of the car and I have groceries in the entry way I just don't have the strength to put away yet. I have to learn not to do that. I will end up going to the store more but it will be easier to handle. She explained to me it is better if I don't bend over....bending over is hard....try to put things up.....or at waist level. She understands pots and pans are usually below but it is very hard for people with lung problems to bend over. Also she said reaching up can be a problem...So, I have to rearrange my kitchen but where can I put these things? Essentially she advises to cook more then I can use when I can cook and freeze it and things like that. She was trying to teach me to better utilize my energy...it made me feel like I was sick! I hate feeling like I am sick! I usually buy my dog food in 40 lb sacks and she said no. I must get a smaller sack...learn to minimize...although why that should be I don't know. At my local JC they have a nutrition and weight loss class with exercise. I am thinking of taking that. The exercise is weight training. I was told the nutrition part is Vegan. I don't know anything about a Vegan diet accept you don't eat anything that has a mother and a father. I have no idea how such a diet would work with lung problems. I know our diets must be healthy but I don't understand a Vegan diet at all. So far I've had a wonderful 4th of July. Downtown they had booths and crafts and such and I went this morning with a friend and then went shopping..came home about 1 PM and was plenty tired but had so much fun! Tonight the City will shoot off fireworks and I can see them from my back patio and my young dog gets very upset by the noise so I sit and hold him and we watch the fire works together while my older dogs stay inside and cuddle up with a bone. Hope you and everyone else has had a wonderful 4th too! Joyce Rudy, AZ Birds puzzeled I went to see the respitory therapist yesterday afternoon and she gave me a few tests and I found out some interesting things. First, I found out why you must breathe IN thru your nose and out thru your mouth. Important to do that. I am having a very hard time doing that. Then I found out that on room air if I am talking my 02 drops to 87 when it used to be at 91-92. Next she took me for a walk with air. She told me the reason I start to pant when I walk is not because my stats are dropping below 90 but my heart rate at rest is 82 and when I walk 5-10 feet at a slow rate it jumps to 138. she told me I do not need aerobic exercise! She said I get aerobic exercise just walking from the bedroom to the living room. she said she didn't know how I was doing aquafit. She said I have to learn to breath right and I just can't seem to co-ordinate this- and to do things slower. Very slow. Well, now I understand why even though I have a 93 o2 I am still panting. I wonder why my heart is speeding so much. I don't have heart disease. She says my stats are up when I walk because I am hyperventilating In order to do it. I am really confused as to how my heart rate could be so high and my stats up....Joyce Rudy AZ Birds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 4, 2009 Report Share Posted July 4, 2009 Adrienne- My RT told me that resistence exercise at home are excellent. For example she said grab a couple of cans of food and pull them up and down and over yoru head, etc. Sit in a chair and lift your legs as high as you can and hold for a few seconds and then SLOWLY put them down...things like that. Hope that is helpful. Joyce Rudy, AZ birds puzzeled I went to see the respitory therapist yesterday afternoon and she gave me a few tests and I found out some interesting things. First, I found out why you must breathe IN thru your nose and out thru your mouth. Important to do that. I am having a very hard time doing that. Then I found out that on room air if I am talking my 02 drops to 87 when it used to be at 91-92. Next she took me for a walk with air. She told me the reason I start to pant when I walk is not because my stats are dropping below 90 but my heart rate at rest is 82 and when I walk 5-10 feet at a slow rate it jumps to 138. she told me I do not need aerobic exercise! She said I get aerobic exercise just walking from the bedroom to the living room. she said she didn't know how I was doing aquafit. She said I have to learn to breath right and I just can't seem to co-ordinate this- and to do things slower. Very slow. Well, now I understand why even though I have a 93 o2 I am still panting. I wonder why my heart is speeding so much. I don't have heart disease. She says my stats are up when I walk because I am hyperventilating In order to do it. I am really confused as to how my heart rate could be so high and my stats up....Joyce Rudy AZ Birds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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