COPD is a chronic lung disease, which affects breathing and energy levels. If these symptoms are increasingly evident on a day to day basis, your quality of life can be affected. Fear of leaving your home due to breathlessness, can lead you down a spiral of emotionally isolating feelings of hopelessness. This is why exercise is one of the components vital in the management of COPD (along with stopping smoking).

I had a client who was diagnosed with COPD 2 years ago. When I first visited her, she was experiencing frequent persistant shortness of breath limiting what she could do around the house. Everything was an effort, which caused frustration because in the past she was a farmer and a hardworker. Not long after my visit she was enrolled in to our 10 week Respiratory Rehabilitation Programme for people with COPD. Nearly a year later she is still exercising. In her words: "The biggest things I have noticed about me; I can help my husband around the house more, and my breathing is better now I know how to breathe properly. I don't run out of breath as fast. When I get in a rush, I can get back my breath. I am happy