Pulmonary Rehabilitation Week

Pulmonary Rehabilitation Week

Pulmonary Rehabilitation Week celebrates pulmonary rehabilitation programs and the dedicated respiratory therapists who staff them. Sponsored by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, this awareness week is designed to show how important pulmonary rehabilitation programs are to the health and well-being of lung disease patients. This awareness month is observed during the month of March and also focuses on chronic condition awareness. One color to wear is pearl, since pearl represents lung diseases. Blue also represents this important week. Additionally, orange stands for COPD.

Respiratory therapists get chronic lung disease patients through acute exacerbations. These exacerbations are part of their conditions. In addition, these patients need respiratory therapists to help them after the acute episode is over, too. That’s where pulmonary rehab comes into play. Pulmonary rehabilitation provides life-enhancing programs to show patients how they can live well despite chronic lung disease. In addition, they are increasingly credited with keeping patients healthy and out of the costly acute care setting.

National Pulmonary Rehabilitation Week

Pulmonary Rehabilitation is the process by which people who are disabled with lung disease are able to return to a more active and enjoyable lifestyle. The goal is to help more people breathe easier and live better despite lung disease. National Pulmonary Rehabilitation Week serves as an opportunity to celebrate the success of pulmonary rehabilitation. It also raises awareness of the benefits it provides to patients with lung disease. And, further, it calls attention to and thanks all those who play a role in COPD treatment and research.

Celebrate this important week!

1) Get Up and Move

Exercise is so important for everyone. In addition, it has proven to be extremely beneficial to those with lung disease. Start your week off with a 10 minute walk, preferably with some company. In fact, challenge yourself to take a 10 minute walk every day! Finding barriers to your fitness routine? Read this blog about overcoming common challenges here.

2) Nourish Your Body

Organize a healthy luncheon, featuring a panel of guest speakers who can share their pulmonary rehab success stories with the group. Can’t figure out what to eat? For those with COPD, look into The Mediterranean diet. Further, it is a healthy option because it emphasizes plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains.  You’ll be happy to know it recommends red wine too (though not too much, of course!). You can check out this blog on the benefits of a Mediterranean diet for more information.

3) Know Your Options

If you’re in need of pulmonary rehab, it can be difficult to know where to begin. LiveBetter.org has a directory of programs all across the United States. You can find a program near you.

4) Sign up for a Clinical Trial

Contribute to the research of pulmonary rehab by signing up for a clinical trial. These trials are a very import step in discovering new ways to help patients with lung disease and are helpful in determining the effectiveness of newly developed treatments.

5) Tell Your Story During Pulmonary Rehabilitation Week

If you or a loved one have lung disease and have benefited from rehabilitation, tell you story! The more people who know about the life-changing benefits of rehabilitation, the more people who can receive help. If you’ve benefited from pulmonary rehab, spread the word! Not only can it improve the lives of others with lung disease, but it also warms the hearts of the researchers and medical teams behind the rehabilitation programs.