The Effect of Low-Intensity Hairmyres Exercises on Six-Minute Walk Distance in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Preliminary Study ABSTRACT

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Therapeutic exercise is the main rehabilitation program in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Shortness of breath due to persistent obstruction causes disability in the form of decreased functional capacity. Hairmyers is an isolated group of exercise to recondition the limb muscles without weights. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of low-intensity Hairmyres exercise in improving Six-Minute Walk Distance (6MWD).Methods: This is a pre-post interventional study held from January to April 2005. Hairmyres exercises were given to the patients (n=14) with moderate and severe COPD for eight weeks, five times a week with two exercises performed in front of the researcher. Six-Minute Walk Distance was measured before, at the end of the 4 th week, and after the exercise program.Results: Compared to the beginning, the 6MWD increased by 27 meters at the end of the 4th week and 62.29 meters at the end of the program in moderate COPD patients, while the increase in severe COPDpatients were 39.71 and 76 meters, respectively. There was a significant difference (p <0.05) between the first and the last measurement in both groups. This difference also surpassed the minimal clinicallyimportant difference (MCID) of 6MWD.Keywords: COPD, Hairmyers, Low-Intensity Exercise, 6MWD