Hey Russell ,
Great story . I am from Manly and will be running my third NYC Marathon this year with Travelling Fit . I also will be competing in Hell of the West next year .
Good luck !
i recently became diagnosed with copd mild caused by wood dust i have turned to mountain biking
i have found chest pain has become worrying yet tests reveal my heart is okay my doctor has suggested it caused by stress, i recently had a chest infection was prescribed an copd antibiotic which made me feel ill the medication went in the bin .question is can over exersize be a problem maybe i have not learned to breath properly .
Maybe it is your lungs. Hyperinflation can cause an ache in the lungs which will come during or after exercise. Try deep and complete exhales i.e. blow air out till you can’t blow any more.
Hey Russel. Your story is such a inspiration. I got critical ill in may and was put on Ecmo-machine. My lung collapsed and i nearly died. The dr thought about lungtransplantation , but the reumatologist found out that i had antisyntetisyndrom. With a big portion of luck i answer good to the treatment( knock on Wood). I lost 7kg of puré muscle after 5 weeks in bed. Know, after 3 month i can brush my teeth, walk and talk etc. No oxygen needed. Last spirometry was normal. My question to you his where i can find information about training with lungdisease. My dr say it is ok for me to training. No restriction. My physiotherapeut is good, but lack of knowledge when it comes to lungdiseases. I am certifierad personal trainer and have a Bachelor degree in rehabilitation science. My dream(dont feel realistic) is to do a beginners triathlon 400m swim, 5k run and 2 mile cykling. But i need more information about the best way to get there. Today i can walk, but get out of breath really Quick and it is scary to push the limits. I dont trust my body like before. Can you give some fingerpoints where i can find good info? Thank you for inspiring me!! Best regards, Lars Andersson from Sweden.
first thing is well done on wanting to be active. I’m not a Doctor and always advise people to get a medical clearance before they start an exercise program. My coach and I with some respiratory specialists are in the final stages of developing exercise programs for COPD patients. We hope to start rolling them out early next year. The programs will cater for all levels of patients, advanced options will be available for those who want to push harder. I will say in the mean time any exercise you undertake should be monitored, especially heart rate and oxygen levels. Pushing is good but not so much as it becomes dangerous.
Thanks for your kind words,
Russ
Just found your site as I was searching for information on athletes with COPD. As a 44yo nonsmoker just diagnosed with mild COPD I have become worried about my ability to continue long term doing what I love – swimming, biking and running. I have competed in several sprint, olympic and 1/2 Ironman events with a life goal of doing a full Ironman when kids are grown and training will not affect family. Now worried that if I wait too long I will loose my ability to fulfill this goal – your blog has given me hope. Thanks and I look forward to following your blog.
First, a huge congratulations on your achievement, you are truly an inspiration to your fellow Copd-ers.
After a lifetime of smoking topped off with 8 years living in a highly polluted city just before diagnosis, I am stage IV.
I see that you are developing an exercise programme for folks with Copd which I look forward to, but I wonder if you can let me know how you measured your oxygen and heart rate while on the move. I have recently starting walking/jogging and would like to keep an eye on things.
Kind regards and congratulations again
Sarah G (UK)
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for your kind words. Great to hear that exercise is a part of how you treat your COPD. I always use a heart rate monitor when training and racing. Unfortunately to my knowledge there’s no oximeter on the market that accurately measures oxygen levels while exercising. So for me this means stopping at certain intervals and measuring my oxygen levels.
Hope that helps,
Regards
Russ
Hi Russel,
Despite all your training from the outset of your diagnosis you were still forced to go on oxygen. Can you expand a little bit of this? Are you just on oxygen for training / race events, or 24/7?
What state were you when you were diagnosed? Do you have equal CB/emphysema?
Regards
Paddy (M38 chronic bronchitis)
Hi Paddy, I have always had to use o2 for travel by air. I use o2 for exercise training and race events. Day to day I don’t normally need supplementary o2. Emphysema is only a small part of my disease. Mostly airway narrowing due to scar tissue.
Hey Russell ,
Great story . I am from Manly and will be running my third NYC Marathon this year with Travelling Fit . I also will be competing in Hell of the West next year .
Good luck !
Hey Peter,
Thanks for reading ! Be great to catch up for a coffee before we leave.
Russ
i recently became diagnosed with copd mild caused by wood dust i have turned to mountain biking
i have found chest pain has become worrying yet tests reveal my heart is okay my doctor has suggested it caused by stress, i recently had a chest infection was prescribed an copd antibiotic which made me feel ill the medication went in the bin .question is can over exersize be a problem maybe i have not learned to breath properly .
Everyone’s exercise capacity is different, I always recommend you check with your Doctor before starting any exercise program.
Good Luck
Maybe it is your lungs. Hyperinflation can cause an ache in the lungs which will come during or after exercise. Try deep and complete exhales i.e. blow air out till you can’t blow any more.
Hey Russel. Your story is such a inspiration. I got critical ill in may and was put on Ecmo-machine. My lung collapsed and i nearly died. The dr thought about lungtransplantation , but the reumatologist found out that i had antisyntetisyndrom. With a big portion of luck i answer good to the treatment( knock on Wood). I lost 7kg of puré muscle after 5 weeks in bed. Know, after 3 month i can brush my teeth, walk and talk etc. No oxygen needed. Last spirometry was normal. My question to you his where i can find information about training with lungdisease. My dr say it is ok for me to training. No restriction. My physiotherapeut is good, but lack of knowledge when it comes to lungdiseases. I am certifierad personal trainer and have a Bachelor degree in rehabilitation science. My dream(dont feel realistic) is to do a beginners triathlon 400m swim, 5k run and 2 mile cykling. But i need more information about the best way to get there. Today i can walk, but get out of breath really Quick and it is scary to push the limits. I dont trust my body like before. Can you give some fingerpoints where i can find good info? Thank you for inspiring me!! Best regards, Lars Andersson from Sweden.
Hi Lars,
first thing is well done on wanting to be active. I’m not a Doctor and always advise people to get a medical clearance before they start an exercise program. My coach and I with some respiratory specialists are in the final stages of developing exercise programs for COPD patients. We hope to start rolling them out early next year. The programs will cater for all levels of patients, advanced options will be available for those who want to push harder. I will say in the mean time any exercise you undertake should be monitored, especially heart rate and oxygen levels. Pushing is good but not so much as it becomes dangerous.
Thanks for your kind words,
Russ
Just found your site as I was searching for information on athletes with COPD. As a 44yo nonsmoker just diagnosed with mild COPD I have become worried about my ability to continue long term doing what I love – swimming, biking and running. I have competed in several sprint, olympic and 1/2 Ironman events with a life goal of doing a full Ironman when kids are grown and training will not affect family. Now worried that if I wait too long I will loose my ability to fulfill this goal – your blog has given me hope. Thanks and I look forward to following your blog.
Dear Russell
First, a huge congratulations on your achievement, you are truly an inspiration to your fellow Copd-ers.
After a lifetime of smoking topped off with 8 years living in a highly polluted city just before diagnosis, I am stage IV.
I see that you are developing an exercise programme for folks with Copd which I look forward to, but I wonder if you can let me know how you measured your oxygen and heart rate while on the move. I have recently starting walking/jogging and would like to keep an eye on things.
Kind regards and congratulations again
Sarah G (UK)
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for your kind words. Great to hear that exercise is a part of how you treat your COPD. I always use a heart rate monitor when training and racing. Unfortunately to my knowledge there’s no oximeter on the market that accurately measures oxygen levels while exercising. So for me this means stopping at certain intervals and measuring my oxygen levels.
Hope that helps,
Regards
Russ
Of course there is Russel. best regards philippe
Hi Sarah,
I am from the uk. You can buy an oxymeter on ebay or amazon quite cheap. These devices measure pulserate and oxygen saturation.
Russell,
Great story, very candid and inspiring. Please e-mail me at your convenience to discuss a potential speaking engagement.
Sincerely,
David
Thanks David I have sent you a message on LinkedIn.
Hello Russell you feed on the ketogenic diet. Also eat milk products like cheese or cream. Or limit the principles of the meat
Not sure what your question is?
Happy New Year!!!
To you too.
Hi Russel,
Despite all your training from the outset of your diagnosis you were still forced to go on oxygen. Can you expand a little bit of this? Are you just on oxygen for training / race events, or 24/7?
What state were you when you were diagnosed? Do you have equal CB/emphysema?
Regards
Paddy (M38 chronic bronchitis)
Hi Paddy, I have always had to use o2 for travel by air. I use o2 for exercise training and race events. Day to day I don’t normally need supplementary o2. Emphysema is only a small part of my disease. Mostly airway narrowing due to scar tissue.