Chair-based versus standard home exercise programs in people with COPD: A randomized controlled trial.
Heart LungMay 17, 2026 (epub)
Clinical ResearchPulmonology
Esra Pehlivan, Zeynep Betül Özcan, Fulya Senem Karaahmetoğlu et al.
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In 30 seconds
This randomized controlled trial compared chair-based and standard home exercise programs in 64 patients with stable COPD. Both interventions improved symptoms and quality of life, but the chair-based group showed significant enhancements in 6-minute walk test distance, maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures, and peak expiratory flow percentage, with p-values of 0.003, 0.025, 0.028, and 0.044, respectively.
Key findings
- Chair-based exercise significantly improved 6MWT distance (p = 0.003).
- Maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) increased in the chair-based group (p = 0.025).
- Maximal expiratory pressure (MEP) also improved in the chair-based group (p = 0.028).
- Peak expiratory flow percentage (PEF%) increased significantly in the chair-based group (p = 0.044).
Why it matters
The findings suggest that chair-based exercise programs can be an effective alternative for improving functional capacity and respiratory parameters in COPD patients, particularly those with mobility limitations.