TRAINING PROGRAMME
The three month indoor training programme
was carefully defined in terms of frequency,
duration, intensity, progression, and mode of
physical activity. The optimum duration and
frequency of exercise were set at 30 minutes
three times a week, during which the subjects
had a target heart rate 75% of the predicted
maximum heart rate (measured and recorded
by Sport Tester PE2000).26 Medical supervision
was provided during all hospital training
sessions. Patients were instructed to use a beta2
agonist inhaler before each exercise session.
Audio tape instructions for home use were
available for patients unable to attend any ofthe
hospital sessions, though attendance at the
hospital was encouraged. Each session consisted
of a warm up period, followed by 30
minutes of varied aerobic exercises, including
cycling, jogging, and "aerobics." Patients then
cooled down with a mixture of light callisthenics
and stretching exercises designed to
improve muscle strength and joint flexibility.
Subjects kept a training log that detailed the
number of hospital and home sessions attended,
the time spent exercising, and a symptom
score for each particular training day. For this
subjects were asked to consult their daily diary
cards and give an approximate aggregate score,
ranging from 0 (no symptoms) to 4 (severe
symptoms). (Details ofthe training programme
are available from Dr L M Cochrane, department
of respiratory medicine, Hairmyres Hospital,
Glasgow.)