Alternative To Pulmonary Rehab? Support Groups In NorCal South Bay?
My insurance won't pay for pulmonary rehab. Are there any alternatives out there? Maybe some self help ways to increase my stamina and learn to breathe better? I will probably switching carriers during open enrollment this year but it won't start until January so I'm looking for something I can do myself. Also, any COPD support groups in NorCal South Bay? Thanks for all your help.
Creating your own pulmonary rehab at home is completely do-able. It might take some time to figure out your routine, but in the end it will definitely be worth it. The only parts of pulmonary rehab that will be hard to emulate at home are the support group and the medical advice.
Walking is one of the best exercises you can do for COPD, so definitely try to find a way to get more walking in. Whether you pace around your house when the weather is bad or you walk around the neighborhood when its nice, it doesn't really matter. YouTube is a great resource for exercises. You can also search google for some at home exercise programs. One of the better online workout sites I have found is eldergym.com
As for eating healthy, there are endless blogs about healthy eating online. Just remember to take into consideration that certain foods may react with your medications or make you feel bloated and cause discomfort after eating.
For a support group, you are already apart of probably the largest COPD support community (MyCOPDTeam), but Facebook groups are another fantastic support resource. People are on the groups at all hours of the day.
For medical advice/help there aren't a lot of options to get you 1-on-1 time with a medical professional. However, Noah Greenspan does webinars regularly and you will learn so much from them. Even if you don't get to see it the first time he saves the recordings and posts them online so you can watch them virtually whenever.
Thank you for your information I am new on here and found it helpful x
I like that program Better Breathers Club Sponsored by American lung Association Kaiser. How do I find this I am a Kaiser member?
@ dreeves23
Thank you for the information on Noah Greenspan. Starting to watch his videos right now. Have learned more in 25 minutes than several trips to the pulmonary specialist.
Better Breathers Club sponsored by American Lung Association. Meets this Friday at 12:30 p.m. MOB 5 Kaiser in Santa Rosa. We can talk. Barry (Phone number can only be seen by the question and answer creators)
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