Shortness of breath can make it hard to stay active with COPD. Sometimes called SoB, shortness of breath can occur without warning. It causes some people to assume they should avoid activity as to not trigger SoB. However, research finds that staying active is an important part of fighting the progression of COPD. Your doctor may refer you to pulmonary rehab, where you can learn exercises to strengthen your muscles and lungs.

On MyCOPDTeam, the social network and online support group for those living with COPD, members talk about a range of personal experiences and struggles. Staying active is one of the top 10 topics members discuss.

Here are a few question-and-answer threads about staying active:

• Is there any exercise you can do to help?

• Does anybody do this before getting out of bed?

• Why do the exercise precautions say to avoid push-ups, sit-ups, and isometric exercises?

Here are some conversations about staying active:

• Keep moving as much as possible. Staying active has helped me tremendously.

• I started my day as usual with a 30-minute treadmill walk...

• I want to get back to exercising to try and build up my strength again. My problem is...

• I also enjoy sewing, painting on canvas, and doing puzzles of all sorts. If you haven't done "brain games" online, it's fun and stimulates the brain.