A subgroup analysis reported significant differences in the promotion of physical activity based on baseline physical activity levels and the type of instrument used to assess levels of physical activity .
Effects of low-intensity exercise and home-based pulmonary rehabilitation with pedometer feedback on physical activity in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
PURPOSE We evaluated the effects of low-intensity and home-based pulmonary rehabilitation ( PR ) on physical activity ( PA ) and the feedback provided by a pedometer in stable elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) . METHODS We assessed PA using a newly developed triaxial accelerometer ( A-MES ™ , Kumamoto , Japan ) , which measures the time spent walking , st and ing , sitting and lying down .  Twenty-seven elderly patients with COPD ( age 74 ± 8 yrs ; % FEV1 56.6 ± 18.7 % ) participated . They were r and omly selected to undergo PR ( pulmonary rehabilitation only ) or PR + P ( PR plus the feedback from using a pedometer ) . Their PA and pulmonary function , exercise capacity ( 6-min walking distance ; 6MWD ) , quadriceps femoris muscle force ( QF ) were evaluated before the PR began ( baseline ) and at 1 year later . We compared the patients ' changes in PA and other factors between the baseline values and those obtained 1 year later and analyzed the relationships between the changes in PA and other factors in the both groups . RESULTS The increase in the time spent walking in the PR + P group ( 51.3 ± 63.7 min/day ) was significantly greater than that of PR group ( 12.3 ± 25.5 min/day ) after the PR . The improvement rate of daily walking time after PR was significantly correlated with that of the 6MWD and QF in all subjects . CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that low-intensity and home-based PR with the feedback from using pedometer was effective in improving PA , and the improvements of physiological factors were correlated with increased walking time in stable elderly patients with COPD
A subgroup analysis reported significant differences in the promotion of physical activity based on baseline physical activity levels and the type of instrument used to assess levels of physical activity .