What is BreatheSTRONG?
Regular exercise, self-management education and social support have been shown to improve quality of life in people who suffer from chronic lung disease.
BreatheSTRONG is an online, home-based and self-paced course that offers education, exercise and resources to help all people living in Canada with chronic lung disease to live more confidently and with fewer symptoms.
Who should take this course?
If you have been diagnosed with COPD, asthma, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis, sarcoidosis or other interstitial lung disease, BreatheSTRONG can help you to keep doing the things you enjoy with the ones you love.
What will I learn?
Each module in this 12-module course will introduce a topic that is important to your lung health or overall wellness.
- Getting Started and Self Assessments
- Module 1: Understanding Your Lungs
- Module 2: Managing Your Symptoms
- Module 3: Medications for Your Lung Disease
- Module 4: Improving Your Indoor Air Quality
- Module 5: Quitting Smoking and Nicotine
- Module 6: Managing Your Moods and Well-being
- Module 7: Outdoor Air Quality
- Module 8: Nutrition
- Module 9: Oxygen Therapy
- Module 10: Advanced Planning
- Conclusion: Wrap-up and Next Steps
If you are a healthcare provider, we encourage you to share information about BreatheSTRONG with colleagues or patients.
Handout for providers | Promotional flyer for your patients | FAQ handout for your patients
Learn more about our work with Sun Life
Sun Life | Sun Life’s Respiratory Care Program | Online Pharmacy
Acknowledgements
The development of BreatheSTRONG | RespriezFORT was led by respiratory therapist Sonya Liedke, BScPH, CRT, RPFT, CRE, MHA.
The Canadian Lung Association would like to thank the following individuals for contributing their time and expertise to the development of this program:
Ronald Bogle, Denis Martin and Doris Morrow
Patient advisors
Sara Awija, BSc, RD
Dietician
Raju Bishwakarma Century, MD
Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Angie Davis, BA, BEd, CHPC, RYT
Coach, Founder of Gentle Yoga International
Valerie Filteau
Lung Health Coordinator Lanark Renfrew Lung Health Program
Neil Johnston, CRT (Ret)
Kendra MacDougall, HBSc, PharmD, RPh
Pharmacist
Danielle Schriver, BScKin, MEd, CCC, LCT-C
Licensed Counselling Therapist
Alexander Tarnowski, MScPT
Exercise Physiology and Physiotherapist
This program was made possible by funding from HealthPartners / PartenaireSanté.
Adaptation of the original program to a learning management system was made possible by Sun Life Canada.
Speak to a certified respiratory educator
Call our Health Information Line at 1-866-717-2673 to speak to a certified respiratory educator. You can also email info@lung.ca.
