Photo by Tony Valainis / Indianapolis Monthly
Q: If your patients were to take only one piece of advice to heart, what would you want it to be? A: The best kind of exercise is the one you’ll actually do.
“PATIENTS OFTEN ask, ‘What kind of exercise should I do?’ The big problem isn’t identifying the type of exercise to do—it’s getting them to do any at all. For some of them, it’s Peloton. But for others, it can be dancing, walking, going to the gym, or swimming. There isn’t really a magic exercise or an exercise that works better than any other. Whatever you can stick with is the best option for you. Daily exercise is important. Even if you don’t lose weight or change your lung function, it’s wonderful for other things, like mental health and sleep quality. It doesn’t cost anything, and it doesn’t need prior authorization from insurance. I’m a pulmonologist, a lung doctor by training. A lot of lung diseases are treatable but not curable, so my patients struggle a lot with shortness of breath, particularly with exertion. The thing is, exercise really improves that. Even if the patient’s lung function doesn’t improve on testing, the things that matter to them—like how far they can walk, how many groceries they can carry, or if they can get up the stairs—really get better.”
— Christopher Huffer, M.D.
Pulmonologist with Witham Specialist Center
