Abstract

Exercise is a well-documented safe and effective intervention for prevention and rehabilitation of chronic diseases. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic deadly lung disease associated with severe signs and symptoms, exercise intolerance, diminished quality of life and poor prognosis. In the short term, supervised exercise training programmes have demonstrated clinical benefits in improving exercise capacity, dyspnoea and quality of life in patients with IPF. The underlying mechanisms of chronic adaption to a regular exercise regimen in IPF have yet to be well described and require further investigation. The available data underscore the importance of implementing training principles to target the pathophysiological impairments of IPF in order
to optimise training adaption and enhance the outcomes. The current exercise training data in IPF provide sufficient evidence of clinical benefit for consideration to be given to recommending exercise-based pulmonary rehabilitation as standard of care for IPF.

Citation: Vainshelboim B. Exercise training in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: is it of benefit? Breathe 2016; 12: 130–138.

Article can be downloaded from: https://breathe.ersjournals.com/content/12/2/130