The incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is one of the most important causes of worldwide mortality and morbidity, increases with age and the disease worsens with the effects of aging. The effects of COPD are not only limited to the lungs, it also affects other organs and systems, causing loss of strength in the respiratory muscles. Respiratory muscles are the skeletal muscles that must maintain their continuous activities for the continuity of life. Just like other skeletal muscles, the respiratory muscles can also be trained based on the principles of exercise. Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) is an exercise method used in both patients with COPD and the elderly population. Studies have shown that IMT has positive effects in COPD and elderly individuals. However, in all these studies IMT applications (also known as foundation or conventional IMT) focus only on the respiratory task of the respiratory muscles. Nevertheless, in addition to their basic task of respiration, respiratory muscles are also involved in core stabilization and postural control.The aim of this study was to create an integrated IMT program for geriatric individuals with and without COPD and investigate its effects.~The participants were divided into two groups as individuals with and without COPD. A total of 8 weeks of IMT was applied for both groups using a threshold pressure loading device The participants were asked to perform IMT twice a day in the morning and evening. Both groups were trained 3 days a week under the supervision of a physiotherapist and other days of the week without a supervisor. The treatment program consisted of 4 weeks of foundation IMT followed by 4 weeks of functional IMT.The intensity of the exercise was adjusted to 40-50% of the MIP. After 10 consecutive breathing cycles, the participants were asked to perform 3-4 breathe controls. As the tolerance increased, consecutive respiratory cycles were increased. The intensity of MIP was adjusted by weekly MIP measurements. Currently, foundation IMT is commonly used to train respiratory muscles. In the present study, foundation IMT was applied during the first 4 weeks of training. The participants were asked to sit in a comfortable upright position. Then the nose clip was placed, and the patients were instructed to tighten their lips around the mouthpiece and breathe against the resistance. During this 4-week-long training, all IMT applications were performed solely in a sitting position, without any loading in other positions. Following the foundation IMT, all participants underwent four weeks of functional IMT. Initially, all participants were taught diaphragmatic breathing and activating abdominal wall musculature. Each training session started with warm-up exercises and ended with cool-down exercises. During the loading phase, core stability, dynamic trunk activation and postural control exercises were applied together with IMT.
This study was designed as a prospective and experimental study. Geriatric individuals (age ≥ 65 years) with COPD and non-COPD were included in the study. Training program was identical for both groups and consisted of 4 weeks of foundation IMT followed by 4 weeks of functional IMT. Respiratory muscle strength, symptoms, exercise capacity, balance, postural control, physical activity and quality of life were evaluated.