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You may feel breathless getting washed, climbing stairs or going for a walk, but this is normal breathlessness for someone with COPD.
Many people with COPD tend to be more breathless in the morning and you may want to limit tasks that make you breathless to later on in the day, and spread things out around the whole week
It is important to have a plan for exercising and activity even if you do get breathless. The less you do, the less you will be able to do.
It is very easy to get stuck in a rut of not exercising or being less active because you feel breathless. By not exercising you will be making your breathlessness worse over time.
We all need exercise and activity to keep our body healthy. When you are active your muscles, joints and circulation all benefit not just your chest and lungs.
Plan activity and exercise in to your day. How am I going to manage today? Get up, get going and plan to go out if you can. Pacing yourself can also help. (For more information please see our section on Pacing and overcoming fatigue).
