Increasing Physical Activity in COPD Through Rhythmically Enhanced Music

The VA cares for nearly one million Veterans with COPD at a cost of more than $5.5 billion annually. COPD profoundly impairs quality of life as it limits ability to work, to maintain physical exertion and to engage in social activities. Hospital-based rehab can decrease the need for inpatient and outpatient medical care and can improve exercise capacity, quality of life and, possibly, decrease mortality. Unfortunately, access to hospital-based VA rehab is insufficient and, over time, the few Veterans who attend experience progressive loss of functional gains. The investigators reason that the proposed home-based exercise program augmented by patient-tailored, RAS-enhanced music will overcome the many limitations of hospital-based rehab. Through this innovative program, the investigators expect to enhance the benefits of rehab and better maintain them over time. The easy applicability of this innovative, accessible and economical program has the potential to modify the spiraling pattern of increasing disability and reduce health-care cost and mortality in Veterans with COPD. In 2021, the investigators obtained an 'Administrative Project Modification' to the parent COPD study in which they will include patients recovering from prolonged COVID19 hospitalization. Specifically, the investigators will use the novel RAS-enhanced music exercise program developed for the parent grant in patients recovering from COVID19. The main goal of the modified proposal for COVID19 patients will be to compare the efficacy of a 12-week, home-based exercise program augmented by RAS-therapeutic music and strength training to 12-weeks usual care and strength training in patients recovering from COVID 19.