[Patients with lung diseases and sports]

Lung patients are suffering from dyspnea. These symptoms make any physical exertion unpleasant, and patients become sedentary. This behaviour leads to a deconditioning of the cardiocirculatory and muscular system which renders activity even more unpleasant, thus reinforcing the sedentary life style. This downward spiral can be interrupted by a program of progressive exercise which should be adapted to the type and severity of the pulmonary disease. In this context, the value of sport therapy in the treatment of asthma bronchiale and COPD is redefined. The possibilities and limitations for this form of treatment are explained.