Find What Moves You
Getting the right amount and type of
exercise is important.
Beyond working out
Exercise plays an important role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Did you know that exercise may help increase lung function? It also may help increase strength and endurance.
Different types of exercise
There are so many ways to exercise. Aerobic or cardiovascular exercises make your heart beat faster and lungs work harder, while weightlifting and other resistance workouts (like using resistance bands) work your muscles.
Tips for avoiding weight loss and fatigue
People with CF need to be extra careful that they are getting enough calories and nutrients when exercising. Work with your CF care team to find ways to exercise safely. Here are a few suggestions to support your body’s needs:
- Eat more during the day
- Pair exercise with high-calorie snacks
- Stay hydrated with water or sports drinks
- Eat salty foods before, during, and after exercise
Check out the chart below that lists how many calories certain exercises burn per hour. You can use it to match the calories of your snacks to the burn rate of your workouts.
| Calorie Cost of Physical Activity (Estimates based on a 110-lb person exercising for 1 hour) |
|---|
| Activity | Calories Burned |
| Baseball | 240 |
| Basketball | 384 |
| Beach Volleyball | 384 |
| Biking | 336 |
| Bowling | 144 |
| Canoeing | 336 |
| Dancing | 264 |
| Football | 432 |
| Gardening | 216 |
| Golf (carrying clubs) | 264 |
| Hiking | 288 |
| Mowing lawn (push) | 264 |
| Running | 480 |
| Skateboarding | 240 |
| Skating | 336 |
| Skiing, snow | 288 |
| Skipping rope | 480 |
| Soccer | 336 |
| Swimming (moderate) | 288 |
| Swimming (vigorous) | 480 |
| Tennis | 336 |
| Walking | 216 |
| *Source: Cedars-Sinai Calorie Burn Rate Tool, 2024 | |||
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
It’s easy to become dehydrated during workouts, which can be especially dangerous for people with CF. You can combat dehydration by taking sips of water all day and drinking water or sports drinks during your workouts.
If you forget to drink water, try setting alarms in your smartphone to remind yourself throughout the day. And for some fun, get a special water bottle and personalize it with your favorite stickers.
