Keeping Active with CF

Why is it important to keep active with CF? Because it makes you feel better! And because children, teenagers and adults with CF who fit exercise into their regime keep healthier than those who don’t.

We are so passionate about the benefits to both your physical and mental health that we have teamed up with the Exeter University research team to look for more evidence on how best to support you. Many of you have met our Exercise Practitioners in clinic and enjoyed peddling on the CPET bike, with a program tailored to your own needs – even some of you whose legs were only just long enough!

Please click on these links to the right (below if on smaller screens), to look at the University research site and to just a few of the many research articles we ( and many of you) have contributed to.

We offer an annual exercise test for older children and adults as part of your annual review as this helps measure important things such as how your heart, lungs and muscles behave when you are exercising. This can help us make decisions about your treatments and can help our physio and exercise therapist team design  a personalised based fitness program for you .

When you are living with CF, getting out of breath on a regular basis helps with that all important airway clearance of sticky mucus and allows your CF treatments to work better for you. When you exercise it is really helpful to think about taking any mucolytics or inhalers beforehand and to practice some huffs and coughs during your exercise session.

Exercise will also help or maintain bone and muscle strength, improve posture as well as countless other benefits.

If you are not sure if exercise is right for you, particularly if you have not exercised for a while, then ask your exercise therapist as they are available to help and advise. We are enthusiastic about encouraging physical activity from an early age and making it part of  everyday life. We know that many of you enjoy a wide variety of activities from climbing to mountain biking, classical ballet to pole dancing or maybe try cycling to college rather than taking the bus?. If you would like to share any resources you have found helpful then let’s us know so we can share with others! Click on the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation link for an excellent article on further tips and advice on exercise for different ages to see what  is right for you.

The important thing for you is to find the activity that fits into your day, keeps you connected with friends around you, makes you feel good and is FUN! The keeping healthier is an added bonus!