Pulmonary Rehabilitation
BreatheFITT Program

Man with weights

If you have been diagnosed with a lung condition, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Sturdy Health's BreatheFITT Program for pulmonary rehabilitation can help. Our carefully-structured exercise and education program is designed to help you breathe better and move easier in your daily activities. Our exercise physiologists and respiratory therapists combine breathing and aerobic exercises with weight training, education, and expert speakers to help you return to your highest functional level.

Discuss the possible benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation with your primary care physician. A doctor’s order is required before you begin the program.

Breathe better, Move easier

Sturdy Health's BreatheFITT Program is pulmonary rehabilitation to help you feel better and move easier in daily life. Participants are prescribed an individualized activity plan based on the FITT Principle. FITT factors in Frequency, level of Intensity, amount of Time, and Type of activity. This FITT activity plan outlines gentle exercises designed to help you gradually improve your breathing while moving. The exercise program is medically monitored by our exercise physiologists and respiratory therapists and takes place in our Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Exercise Facility located in Sturdy Memorial Hospital. Participants also receive guidance and education on how to breathe more efficiently.

During each class, exercise physiologists and respiratory therapists offer medical supervision and assistance as participants perform aerobic and strengthening exercises.

Patients with a variety of lung ailments, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), might be candidates for pulmonary rehabilitation. Even those with very low levels of function and mobility can achieve substantial improvements. Sturdy Health's WellFITT Program is available to continue to improve your fitness once pulmonary rehabilitation ends.

Doctor's referral is required.

Call (508) 236-7390 to enroll.

Patient Stories

Dave C.

Dave is a husband, father and retired Attleboro Firefighter. In February of 2015, Dave was diagnosed with IPF or Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. In 2017, Dave’s condition deteriorated and medications were no longer effective. The next step for him was a lung transplant. Dave began pulmonary rehab at our Cardiac & Pulmonary Rehab Center. Pulmonary rehab provided Dave a safe, medically supervised environment to condition and prepare his body for surgery. He underwent a double lung transplant in January 2018. Thanks to his conditioning with pulmonary rehab prior to his surgery, he was in great shape to receive his lung transplant. Because of his great progress, Dave was able to be discharged home rather than being admitted to an inpatient rehab facility. He is back working hard in Pulmonary Rehab with a new, healthier future.