Pulmonary rehabilitation programs can reduce anxiety
in COPD patients.55,56 Emery et al57 found that an exercise
training program combined with education that included
stress management techniques significantly reduced anxiety.
Curiously, stress management sessions without exercise
training did not improve anxiety. This is in line with
our results, suggesting that an additional value of exercise
in its different modalities (breathing or global training) can
improve psychological status in patients with COPD.