Patterns of physical activity during pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in people with COPD

<bold>Introduction:</bold> Few studies have examined patterns of physical activity (PA) during a PR programme in people with COPD. <bold>Aims:</bold> To compare the patterns of PA in: 1) the week prior to commencing PR (pre-PR), a week during PR (week 7), and the week after PR programme completion (post PR); and 2) supervised PR training days (PR days) and non-supervised days (non-PR days) during a PR week. <bold>Methods:</bold> A multicentre, prospective cohort study. Participants attended twice weekly supervised PR. Daily step count (primary outcome), time in light activities, time in moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA), time in sedentary behaviour and sit-to-stand (STS) transitions were measured using a thigh worn accelerometer (activPAL3 micro) for seven days at each assessment timepoint: pre-PR, week 7 and post PR. Minimum wear time for data inclusion was four days. <bold>Results:</bold> 29 participants, mean age (SD) 69 years (7), FEV1 53%pred (16). At week 7 compared to pre-PR, there were daily increases in, mean difference (95%CI): step count, 941 steps (388 to 1494); and MVPA, 11 mins (6 to 15), with no difference in: time in light activities, -1 min (−6 to 5); total sedentary time, 7 mins (−21 to 36); or STS transitions, 0 (−5 to 6). Comparison of PR days to non-PR days found increases in daily: step count, 2810 steps (1706 to 3913); time in light activities 11 mins (1 to 20); time in MVPA, 27 mins (17 to 35) and STS transitions, 8 (4 to 12), with no difference in total sedentary time: -33 mins (−80 to 15). PA post-PR was no different to pre-PR (all p<0.05). <bold>Conclusion:</bold> Daily step count and time spent in MVPA increased significantly during participation in a PR programme. Differences in PA arose solely due to increased PA on days participants attended PR.