UKC

I stopped smoking 12 years ago & developed COPD 10 years ago (seems unfair but hey ho it's my own fault).

I went to Scafell last weekend to walk up with a pal from Wasdale Head but only got to 390m elevation before I ran out of uphill steam & turned back whilst my buddy went on with the crowds (it was very busy)

I'm hoping someone has experience they can share on how to improve stamina with this issue because I would love to get to the top again (I went up about 9 years ago after I was first diagnosed), but I have to say I am very aware if it's no longer possible (I'm 65) I won't try in a foolhardy manner that will either endanger friends or put the Mountain rescue members in a "need to rescue" situation

Thanks guys, Bill

Are you aware of/have you tried anything like this? It seems to get positive feedback from people or relatives of people with COPD. I think cycling is meant to be good for building up lung function. 

https://www.amazon.com/Expand-A-Lung-Breathing-Fitness-Exerciser/dp/B00JWTR...

Good luck, and I hope you achieve some of your goals. 

As a lifelong walker and climber now aged 63 I'd say that 65 is a good age to be getting out onto the hills and you need to bear in mind that it takes much longer to rebuild leg muscle at this age. I'm just recuperating now after 9 months of enforced inaction but happily I'm finding I haven't lost the base fitness, though after longer than a couple of years it must be much harder.

What nutrition did you take? There's another thread going on UKC about energy foods right now; I posted that I think protein gets overlooked when planning diets for active people. Maybe you should be eating quality protein after an effort, to help rebuild muscle?

Just want to add support and encouragement to keep active with COPD, it’s the single best treatment for it, (after stopping smoking), superior to inhalers etc.

Have you got a pulmonary rehab course you can be referred to locally? It might sound a bit naff if you’re already active, but it’s actually very useful. 

is it worth doing regular cycling to get your fitness and capacity up reasonably gently?

Doesn't have to be anything extreme to do some good if you do it regularly

The only other thing I could think of was bottled oxygen just to get you to the top of the mountain.

If it's good enough for well people to get up their mountain with.  

Edit: More seriously, fuck it really, if it's something you really want to do, and we're not around for ever. Maybe I speak of your post on facebook in the hope some friends who still smoke might take it on board? My parents made me go cold turkey and I've been forever thankful.

Don’t know about the COPD but little and often might help. Also just doing stuff to strengthen your legs - hit the gym, do leg press, stationary bike, anything to mitigate the age related muscle loss we all get after 50. If your legs don’t have to work so hard you might put less stress on your lung capacity.

Well done for trying tho.

Exactly this. I used to run some pulmonary rehab sessions. Most couldn’t walk shuttles of 30 feet, but did improve. If you can reach the height that you did, then some serious cardio vascular training and strengthening should get you back up there. Don’t give up!

Brilliant encouragement, thanks to you & everyone else