Pulmonary rehabilitation with breath control exercises improves lung function in COVID patients, finds study

A new study published in the journal of Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease showed that after just 4 to 8 weeks, pulmonary rehabilitation (PR), which includes breath control exercises, can help long-term COVID patients' lung function.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), long-lasting COVID-19 symptoms are those that appear more than three months after infection or are more severe than pre-COVID-19 symptoms and last for at least 2 months without a known cause. Originally created to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary rehabilitation is now acknowledged as a fundamental therapy strategy for a number of chronic cardiopulmonary disorders.

Based mostly on expert opinion and observational evidence, WHO and the European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society recommendations also suggested PR for the treatment of prolonged COVID-19 symptoms. Thus, this study was carried out to compare the effectiveness of various PR intervention kinds and durations as well as to assess the effect of PR on patients with prolonged COVID-19.

This study included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published prior to April 2024 that examined the efficacy of PR in long-term COVID-19 patients. The 6-minute walking test (6MWT), lung function as determined by forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC), tiredness, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were the main outcomes. maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP), maximum expiratory pressure (MEP), handgrip strength tests, the 30-second sit-to-stand test (30STST), dyspnea, depression, anxiety, perceived exertion, and adverse events were secondary outcomes.

There were 37 trials with 3363 individuals in all. PR did not approach statistical significance for depression, but it did enhance physical capacity (6MWT, 30STST, handgrip), lung function (FEV1, FVC, MIP, MEP), HRQoL, tiredness, dyspnea, and anxiety when compared to controls.

Programs lasting less than four weeks improved 6MWT, those lasting four to eight weeks substantially improved 6MWT, lung function (FEV1, FVC), HRQoL, and decreased tiredness, while programs lasting more than eight weeks enhanced HRQoL and decreased fatigue, according to subgroup analyses of PR length.

Breathing exercises improved 6MWT, lung function (FEV1, FVC), and HRQoL, according to exercise type analysis; multicomponent exercises increased 6MWT performance and decreased tiredness; and combining the two kinds improved 6MWT, FEV1 (L), FVC (%pred), HRQoL, and decreased fatigue.

Overall, in long-term COVID-19 patients, PR reduces anxiety, exhaustion, and dyspnea while also improving physical capacity, lung function, and quality of life. Long-term COVID-19 disorders are best managed with a 4- to 8-week PR program that combines multicomponent training with breath exercises.

Source:

Li, S., Dai, B., Hou, Y., Zhang, L., Liu, J., Hou, H., Song, D., Wang, S., Li, X., Zhao, H., Wang, W., Kang, J., & Tan, W. (2025). Effect of pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with long COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease, 19. https://doi.org/10.1177/17534666251323482