Nutrition
It’s important to eat a nutritionally balanced to maintain a healthy body weight. Foods and fluids contain essential nutrients to help prevent infections and help with recovery from condition flare ups or COVID-19.
You may also find that breathlessness can affect the amount of food you can eat in one sitting; it may be worth having more (5 to 6) smaller meals through the day rather than three. This can increase your calorie intake but not overwhelm you in one meal.
Further information is provided in the Eat Well section but the following maybe helpful guidance regarding nutrition for people experiencing a diagnosed respiratory condition.
- NHS Eat Well
- British Lung Foundation – Eating well for healthier lungs
- British Dietetic Association – Food facts
- Malnutrition Pathway – Managing Malnutrition in COPD
- Malnutrition Pathway – Eating Well for Lungs
- Malnutrition Pathway – Improving your nutrition in COPD
- Malnutrition Pathway – Nutritional Support in COPD
- Malnutrition Pathway – Improving your nutrition in COPD
- Eat Well
Taste changes and a very dry mouth may occur with some conditions/medications or if you have had a diagnosis of COVID-19. This can also have an impact upon your nutrition as you may choose not to eat as you can not taste your foods.
Exercises
Being active can help your breathing and quality of life. There is no single activity that is beneficial for everyone so it is important to choose an activity that you enjoy that is the right level for you. Being more active strengthens your muscles and increases your fitness. It is also important to gradually increase the amount of activity you do, as pacing yourself can help with saving energy for other activities.
Pulmonary rehabilitation is a programme of exercise and education available for people with a long-term lung condition. For more information or if you would like to attend pulmonary rehabilitation contact your GP or respiratory clinic. Currently this is delivered via home exercise programme, My COPD App, virtual one-to-one sessions and face-to-face group sessions in various community locations.
For further information on keeping active with a lung condition check out the resource:
- Move Well
- British Lung Foundation – Activities handbook
- My mHealth – Digital therapeutics for long-term conditions
- British Lung Foundation – Keep Active exercise videos
Pelvic floor exercises and advice
It is not uncommon for those with breathing problems and persistent coughing to experience urinary incontinence. Pelvic floor exercises can be performed to strengthen the muscles around your bladder and can help urinary incontinence.