This study was a randomised trial, with concealed allocation, blinding of assessors of some outcomes and intention-to-treat analysis. Patients who were hospitalised for community-acquired pneumonia were randomly assigned to receive either physical exercise training (experimental group) or respiratory physiotherapy (control group). After eligible patients were advised regarding the study and consented to participate, they were randomly allocated to one of the two groups. Upcoming random allocations were concealed in opaque, sealed envelopes that had been prepared by a researcher who was not involved in the recruitment or assessment of the participants. Data were obtained before randomisation and 1 day after the 8-day intervention period. The length of the hospital stay was also recorded for all participants