Six-Minute walk test as a guide for walking prescription for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases

Abstract

Exercise training in chronic respiratory disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an essential component of pulmonary rehabilitation, but physical activity for maintenance of benefits in COPD after outpatient/inpatient rehabilitation is a neglected one. The dosage of walking is not “prescribed” properly by health-care providers for maintenance of muscle mass and improving quality of life. If the ground or treadmill walking is appropriately dosed and prescribed based on 6-min walk test (6MWT), the unsupervised ground walking may be a useful alternative to supervised aerobic fitness programs for achieving fitness benefits. This article provides an overview of dosing and measuring the walking program (either ground or treadmill) objectively to novice therapists and primary care physicians based on the 6MWT to COPD patients.

Keywords

• Benefits
• ground walk
• prescription
• six-minute walk distance
• six-minute walk test
• treadmill walk