A good PR program will offer both exercise techniques and education about COPD. Unfortunately, there's no standard curriculum and not all programs are created equal. And it needs to be a Pulmonary Rehab program, not something that the cardiac rehab people thought they'd offer to those poor folks who can't breathe. In pulmonary rehab, 02 saturation is the most important thing and heart rate takes a long second place unless the patient has both cardiac and pulmonary problems. The people running the program need to understand that, and they need to understand that heart rates will be high when people start: after all, most of them have been couch potatoes for a long time and the heart objects when you make it work. If they stop you because your heart rate is too high, you need to be sure your doc agrees that it is too high for you and you need to slow down, not stop, just slow down.

I'd give it a couple of chances. If it's not worth it, or it doesn't seem like you're getting tanything out of it, talk with your doc about starting an exercise program at home. There are many people who exercise on their own every day and do very well and others who join a gym and exercise with everyone else. Silver Sneakers is another program that can be very helpful. For the education part, go to www.copdfoundation.org and read everything in the learn more tab. That will give you a good grounding and you can begin your COPD education there.