Many older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are inactive and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) can be too strenuous for long-term maintenance. We examined effects o Show more
Many older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are inactive and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) can be too strenuous for long-term maintenance. We examined effects of an intervention to increase light physical activity (LPA). Primary outcomes were physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB). Active for Life with COPD (Active-Life) is a self-efficacy-based intervention designed to increase LPA. Chair Exercises with Health Education (Chair-HE) served as an active control. PA and SB were measured with ActivPAL and ActiGraph accelerometers. We randomized 159 people with COPD to 10 weeks of Active-Life or Chair-HE. 128 people completed the intervention; 105 completed 1-year follow-up. The sample was 45% female, mean (SD) age was 69.6 (8.2), FEV Active-Life produced significant, sustained increases in PA for 12 months. Further work is needed to reduce SB and establish longer-term PA effects. Show less