Enhancement of daily physical activity increases physical fitness of outclinic COPD patients: results of an exercise counseling program.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether a 12-week pedometer-based exercise counseling strategy is feasible and effectively enhances daily physical activity in outclinic Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients who do not participate in a rehabilitation program in a controlled way.


METHODS
35 outclinic COPD patients (21 males, mean age 62 years, GOLD I-III, mean FEV(1)% predicted 64.7) were randomized for a 12-week individual pedometer-based exercise counseling program promoting daily physical activities or usual care. Daily physical activity (DigiWalker SW-200), physical fitness, health-related quality of life, self-efficacy, fatigue, depression and motivation to be physically active were assessed before and after the intervention.


RESULTS
After the intervention, COPD patients in the exercise counseling group showed a significant increase in their mean number of steps/day (from 7087 to 7872), whereas the usual care group showed a decrease (from 7539 to 6172). Significant differences favoring the exercise counseling group were demonstrated in arm strength, leg strength, health-related quality of life and intrinsic motivation to be physically active.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study shows that a 12-week pedometer-based exercise counseling strategy is feasible and effectively enhances daily physical activity, physical fitness, health-related quality of life and intrinsic motivation in outclinic COPD patients who do not participate in a rehabilitation program.


CONCLUSIONS
The feasibility of our exercise counseling strategy is good and patients were motivated to participate.
Hospes
Gieneke
G
Rehabilitation Department, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Bossenbroek
Linda
L
Ten Hacken
Nick H T
NH
van Hengel
Peter
P
de Greef
Mathieu H G
MH
D000368:Aged; D003376:Counseling; D016552:Ergometry; D015444:Exercise; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D010809:Physical Fitness; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011788:Quality of Life