Total Physique Online

Note: This program is a beginner to intermediate program. If you have never worked out before then some of the terminology used here may seem confusing. If that is the case, then please visit Our Sample Beginner Program Page. Use the pop-up windows on that page to familiarize yourself with some of the more common terms. Take a look at some of the exercise demos. This will help you grasp some of the concepts discussed in this post. Also, please visit the Anatomy Chart to familiarise yourself with your body’s muscle groups

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CPOD is such a huge problem in this world. Many people suffer with it. I am proud to be able to offer a site that hopefully gives encouragement to others who are managing this very difficult condition.

If you have COPD, then you know that chronic illness of this sort can be very discouraging at times. Sometimes it helps to talk to others who are dealing with some of the same challenges as you are. TPO is always looking for creative ways to make this site better. One of the things we do is partner with other sites that give support to people with chronic illness like COPD. TPO is therefore very excited about a new partnership of sorts.

A few days ago I was contacted by a representative from Breathing Better/Living Well. BBLW wanted to exchange links with TPO and I was eager to oblige the offer. Not only that, but I wanted to promote their book, “Breathe Better, Live in Wellness: Winning Your Battle Over Shortness of Breath“, written by Jane M. Martin, BA, CRT
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I am not a doctor. I do not even play one on the Internet. So, it is always with a certain amount of apprehension that I write columns such as the one you are about to read.

One of the primary functions of TotalPhysiqueOnline.com is to help people with COPD be as healthy as possible. Another purpose of this site is to encourage everyone to take better care of their bodies.

Some of the suggestions passed along in the pages of this web site are based on my own experiences in managing COPD for 44 years. I cannot, nor would I ever, try to tell anyone what will and will not work for them in terms of their health. All I can do is pass on my personal insights and let you, the reader, consider the merits of what I propose.
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I receive lots of emails from people all over the world who have some form of COPD. Many of them are already discovering the health benefits of exercise. They have found out that even moderate exercise, performed daily, makes a world of difference in their ability to breath.

Still, I do receive more than a a few emails from people who have not begun a workout program. They came to this site to check it over and see what is here. They have reviewed the articles and looked over the exercise programs that we currently have available, and still have not found what they are looking for.
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In my last installment in this series on building a home gym, I talked about some strategies you can use to outfit your own home with some professional grade strength tools that can help you reach you fitness goals. We discussed calesthenics, bands and cables, Ironmaster etc.
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OK, so where were we? Oh yes. That’s right. In part 3a we came to the realization that you have the money and the space for a gym that offers just about everything you need for the total strength training experience. You have a fitness level that is challenged by COPD (or maybe you don’t), but nevertheless you are fit enough that you can wrap your mind around the notion of traditional strength training as a vehicle to a healthier you. So, what do you buy? OK, I’ll answer that. But first, a story.
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In my first two columns on COPD, Part 1 and Part 2, my objective was to help you understand that the challenge of exercise is overwhelming for most people, and that for this reason most healthy people choose not to workout. This challenge is made all the more challenging when you also have to deal with COPD.
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In my previous column entitled http://totalphysiqueonline.com/2007/01/11/about-exercise-and-copd-part-1/, I wrote a terribly lengthy and somewhat rambling (my apologies) piece on some of the obstacles preventing many people from starting fitness programs. I then expounded a bit further by extrapolating the argument in order to apply it to people who have medical challenges. The point of that column was that if it is hard for basically healthy people to get motivated to exercise, how much harder then is it for people who are not healthy? In this column, I intend to develop the idea a bit further, with the ultimate objective of offering a strategy for overcoming the obstacles that prevent us from achieving the active, healthy and vibrant lifestyle we all aspire to have.
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In the coming weeks I intend to add more columns on my personal experience in dealing with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). For now, I thought I would break ground by leading off with some thoughts about fitness in general, and exercise and COPD in particular.

No one can argue that exercise is beneficial to most everyone. Granted, there are some extenuating circumstances were exercise might be counter productive to someone’s health, but my pulmonologist believes that in most cases just about everyone can benefit from regular exercise. He feels exercise is of particular importance for people managing illnesses like Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, Chronic Bronchitis, etc. I could not agree more.
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