Excercise instead of CPT

[cdale613]

Just wanted to add my preferences...

I am currently on a combination of CPT, exercise, and the vest. I like exercise and CPT the best... I do the vest when I can't get CPT.

I get 45 minutes of CPT three mornings every week from a physical therapist. I exercise daily - either biking, running, or lifting. I run 3x a week, I bike 4-6 times a week (I commute to work by bike almost daily), and lift 3-4 days a week for 45 minutes after work. On the mornings I do not get CPT, I do the vest, and I do the vest every night.

I've always been very active - I ran competitively in High School and College, and made it through college on 5-10 miles of running every day, and the flutter... not necessarily the best, but it was all I could get then.

Like I said, for me, I think the combination of CPT and exercise are the most effective. My PFT's are still very high - most recent #'s from last week were FEV1 of 89%, FVC of 122%

Chris

25 w/CF

 

[catboogie]

wow, chris, i was reading all that you do -- that's amazing!

about the thread: i'm wondering if the exercise/CPT/vest discussion might be comparing apples to oranges (exercise = apple; CPT/vest = oranges <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> ??) it seems logical to me that the two kinds of things may have different effects on the lungs, even though both have the same "goal" -- to get crap out of the lungs.

exercise for me seems to work like the hypertonic saline (i suspect). that is, it does a good job of clearing stuff in places of the lungs where there is already relatively good flow. CPT and vest are probably able to get more into the smaller airways where stuff is gunked up.

with this in mind, it makes perfect sense that only exercising can work well for people with milder cf; whereas this would be a bad idea for people with more airway clearance needs. it also explains why the ideal practice would be to do them both.

laura

 

[anonymous]

I don't think it makes sense that exercising is better for people wilth mild CF and benefits more severe cases less - although I certainly agree that having milder CF makes exercise easier.

I think that exercise works in very similar ways to most forms of CPT/Vest/ PEP-flutter, etc, and that they aren't apples and oranges. They all try to do two things: 1) shake the junk out 2) effect breathing patterns that result in deeper breaths, which helps the body's clearance mechanisms.
xercise, especially aerobic exercise does this at least as well, if not better than other options, and has the added benefit of strengthening lungs, and increasing lung capacity, something that most other therapies generally do not do.

This being said, I would argue the exact opposite - exercise, and all forms of clearance are most important the for people with more severe disease, because they have the most to gain from improved clearance and general improvements of lung health.

I see my efforts as holding the line against CF - on bad days sometimes I feel like I'm trying to hold back the tide with a spoon, but most of the time I feel like the time I put into CPT and exercise has made a critical difference, not only in my PFT's, but also in my ability to recover from infections and sickness.... again, something that people with more sever CF would benefit even more from.

I don't expect every CFer to be able to exercise at the same level, but all CFers should realize that they have a lot to gain from whatever amount of exercise they can tolerate, and that it should be an integral part of their clearance activities.

Chris (cdale613 - not signed in)

26 w/ CF

 

[gsplover]

I never did any CPT or Vest until I was about 27. When I was younger I ran all the time. I was never sick. In college I stopped running...guess what...I got sick. My lungs started filling up and I did damage to my lungs by not exercising. I still only do CPT when I am in the hospital. I do the vest twice a day for 20 minutes each time. But I feel the best when I do the vest and exercises. I haven't done much exercise in the past few months and my lungs know it. Once I start exercising I get addicted to it because it makes me feel so good but then I wear my self out and get sick. I think everything needs to be done in balance. If you exercise and never get sick without doing any other form of CPT keep doing it. It works for you. I wish I would have never stopped. I was running about 30 miles a week. I only wish I can bring myself to do that again. For now, I do what I can when I feel I can. But the moral of the topic is how important any type of airway clearance is!!! My question is can you reverse the damage you have done? Has anyone done that?

 

[anonymous]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>Ender</b></i>

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>princessjdc</b></i>



I had read that your not suppose to substitute excercise for CPT. Your suppose to always do CPT, no matter how much excercise you get.</end quote></div>



that's what they say, but i want proof! <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif" border="0"> No but seriously...Yo can't tell me that if you were to run 3 miles a day quite hard, that it's no substitute for blowing into a flutter for 15 minutes?



<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif" border="0"></end quote></div>



AMEN.

 

[princessjdc]

Well for one I do the vest, I have the flutter but dont really use it, but doing cpt would help a lot too!!! I think I posted a video on here a long time ago and it said something about cpt and exercise, I can find it for you so you can have proof!

 

[littledebbie]

Have to agree with whom ever said to the effect- excersing helps move air through already clear areas and helps you take good deep breaths (or as deep as possible anyway). Clearance is much better at getting into the smaller airways and clearing out stuff that has set up residence. <br><br>
Disclaimmer: Post for the less healthy<br><br>I would just like to say for anyone who may be in my position. when reading all the posts about how these guys all run 40 friggin miles a day and then go home to lift the equivalent of a two ton truck. rest assured there were some who could not excersise like that past the age of 8. And not for lack of habit or trying. I try to walk or speed walk as often as possible (a few times a week) and usually I'm thinking to myself the entire time "I wonder if i am going to pass out from lack of oxygen first or my heart is going to explode from the stress." I use the acapella and can tell you excersise in NO way competes with the clearance for me. i think it is a matter of where you are with the disease.

 

[princessjdc]

Ok I found the video, here it is, the video is "Total Lung Care feel the difference TLC makes" . Watch it and in the middle or towards the end is where they say not to substitute CPT for exercise. Here it is a link to the site..... <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://presenterasp.multicastmedia.com/system/presenter/BuildPresenter.aspx?eid=7bc55f4357064b0fb01c47e868ea5667&key=MMN">Total Lung Care feel the difference TLC makes</a>

 

[wanderlost]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>princessjdc</b></i>

Ok I found the video, here it is, the video is "Total Lung Care feel the difference TLC makes" . Watch it and in the middle or towards the end is where they say not to substitute CPT for exercise. Here it is a link to the site..... <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://presenterasp.multicastmedia.com/system/presenter/BuildPresenter.aspx?eid=7bc55f4357064b0fb01c47e868ea5667&key=MMN">Total Lung Care feel the difference TLC makes</a></end quote></div>

Well speaking aside from the point LittleDebbie made that of course, come people can't exercise strenuously ( and I admit I haven't watched the video yet), I have spent my whole life doing things differently than "they" told me - one of the main things being only excercising for airway clearance, and I have done pretty good so far...I think each of us has to take it individually - if it works for you, who cares what "they" say...

 

[Ender]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>gsplover</b></i>

I never did any CPT or Vest until I was about 27. When I was younger I ran all the time. I was never sick. In college I stopped running...guess what...I got sick. My lungs started filling up and I did damage to my lungs by not exercising. I still only do CPT when I am in the hospital. I do the vest twice a day for 20 minutes each time. But I feel the best when I do the vest and exercises. I haven't done much exercise in the past few months and my lungs know it. Once I start exercising I get addicted to it because it makes me feel so good but then I wear my self out and get sick. I think everything needs to be done in balance. If you exercise and never get sick without doing any other form of CPT keep doing it. It works for you. I wish I would have never stopped. I was running about 30 miles a week. I only wish I can bring myself to do that again. For now, I do what I can when I feel I can. But the moral of the topic is how important any type of airway clearance is!!! My question is can you reverse the damage you have done? Has anyone done that?</end quote></div>


I think once you get scarring done, then it can't be reversed. However, i think the human body is an amazing machine, and if you start excercising seriously...gradually and increase your speed and duration...your pfts will go up, and you will see an overall difference.

For the last two years i saw my pft's delcline, down fron high 80's to middle 50's. I thought maybe i could get it back up to the 70's and try to keep it there. Last time i went it was 87%. I was pretty astounded. My doctor said that these numbers weren't fake, that my lungs always had the potential to be that good, it's just maybe my lifestyle or a bug wasn't letting it. Sometimes i still don't feel like i have that good of lung function, and i can feel like congested or whatever, but then i go to the hospital and i realize that i am sicker than maybe i think i am. It's my head bringing me down, not my body.

That being said, I think my main reason to say this was that so many doctors stress about the vest or the flutter, and people take that as the only means to clear their lungs. I'm sorry, I'm not a health practitioner...take what i have to say with a grain of salt....but i seriously think that doing prolonged aerobic excerise min 5 times a week for 25-30 mins is better than sitting in a vest for 20 minutes.

Just my two cents.

Kiel

 

[princessjdc]

Keil have you watched the video yet?

 

[Ender]

ya they said excerise is not a good substitute for percussion therapy.

i want numbers <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif" border="0">

Kiel

 

[Ender]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>littledebbie</b></i>

I use the acapella and can tell you excersise in NO way competes with the clearance for me. i think it is a matter of where you are with the disease.</end quote></div>

See i think she said it right. There are a lot of us that can't excercise and other means are necassary to help clear you out. If exercise is good for you and keeping you healthy, then i think that's a good alternative.

Even so...I'm sure there are some of you that could really benefit from a good excerise regime if you were to put your mind to it.

This is just my opinion...and it isn't medical fact. But for me, this is what works...and I think it works great.

 

[princessjdc]

well I do both exercise (walk) and the vest. but honestly havent been excersising lately.

 

[ladybug]

Just lurking here and figured I'd quick post.... I agree with the idea that it is very much where you are with this disease. If you're able to do strenuous cardio, exercise may suffice, but if not, CPT/Vest may be necessary (I've been on the vest for years, however, and rarely cough at all from it, though weight lifting -where you breath in and out with contractions- has been amazing for clearing me out.)

I also wanted to mention to those who only exercise and are relatively healthy with this disease... how do you know you wouldn't be at 90% or 100% if you added CPT/Vest? My mom used to always say that to me when I'd tell her what I'm doing must be keeping me healthy cause I haven't been in the hospital... she'd always say, "yes, but how do you KNOW exercise on top of your treatments wouldn't produce astounding resluts even better than you are now?!?!" So, I guess it works both ways. Unless you personally try many methods seperately , take a PFT, together, take a PFT, and in different combinations, take a PFT, you never can really tell how such things will affect you.

 

[anonymous]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>ladybug</b></i>

Just lurking here and figured I'd quick post.... I agree with the idea that it is very much where you are with this disease. If you're able to do strenuous cardio, exercise may suffice, but if not, CPT/Vest may be necessary (I've been on the vest for years, however, and rarely cough at all from it, though weight lifting -where you breath in and out with contractions- has been amazing for clearing me out.)



I also wanted to mention to those who only exercise and are relatively healthy with this disease... how do you know you wouldn't be at 90% or 100% if you added CPT/Vest? My mom used to always say that to me when I'd tell her what I'm doing must be keeping me healthy cause I haven't been in the hospital... she'd always say, "yes, but how do you KNOW exercise on top of your treatments wouldn't produce astounding resluts even better than you are now?!?!" So, I guess it works both ways. Unless you personally try many methods seperately , take a PFT, together, take a PFT, and in different combinations, take a PFT, you never can really tell how such things will affect you.</end quote></div>

Good point. I think for me, it's just a matter of time and effort and how much I want to put into it. I think there is no arguemtn to the fact that you get what you out into it. I have been thinking about the vest lately, but more because now that I am pregnant I have been really slacking on exercise.
It's me, wanderlost, at work and not logged in