Even though Barach in 1964 advocated physical
exercise for patients with chronic lung diseases
(1), it was only in early 1970s that a liberal use of
exercise training was included in pulmonary rehabilitation
programmes (2). The relentless downhill course
of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
over many years and the concomitant worsening of
dyspnoea limit the activity of patients, leading to a
vicious cycle of increasing inactivity and dyspnoea.
This in turn aggravates the debilitating effects of the
disease. Exercise training has been advocated as an
important component in pulmonary rehabilitation to
improve well-being and to reduce subsequent hospital
admissions in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease
