Effects of low-intensity exercise and home-based pulmonary rehabilitation with pedometer feedback on physical activity in elderly patients with COPD

Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of low-intensity and home-based pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) and the feedback provided by a pedometer on physical activity (PA) in stable elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: We assessed PA using A-MES™(Kumamoto, Japan), which measures the time spent in position and moving. 27 elderly patients with COPD (age 74 ± 8 yrs) participated. They were randomly selected to undergo PR (pulmonary rehabilitation only) or PR+P (PR plus the feedback was given the number of steps monthly from using a pedometer) group. Their PA and pulmonary function, physiological factors were evaluated before the PR began (baseline) and at 1 year later. We compared the patients9 changes in PA between the baseline values and those obtained 1 year later. Results: The increase in the time spent walking in the PR+P group (51.3 ± 63.7 min/day) was significantly greater than that of PR group (12.3 ± 25.5 min/day) after the PR. Conclusions: These data suggest that low-intensity and home-based PR with the feedback from using pedometer was effective in improving PA in stable elderly patients with COPD.