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We’re on a mission to make sure that one day everyone breathes clear air with healthy lungs. That’s why funding research into lung disease is such an important part of what we do.  

Find out about our vital research

Keeping active with a lung condition

Help and support

For more information, call our friendly helpline team on 03000 030 555. They can answer your questions and help you find pulmonary rehabilitation services or exercise classes in your area. 

If you aren’t currently active and you would like support, find out more about how we can help you through Active Steps.

You might want to connect with other people living with a lung condition to share your experiences. You could join our web community or get involved with your local Breathe Easy support group.

On this page:

Walking groups

Walking groups are an enjoyable, social way to become active. There are free group health walks across the UK which are aimed at supporting people to become active.

England 

Walking for Health
020 7339 8541

Northern Ireland

Walk NI 
028 9030 3930

Scotland 

Paths for All
01259 218888

Wales 

Let’s Walk Cymru
02920 644308

Walk Unlimited has information on how to get active through walking, plus links to lots of different local opportunities.
 

Mobility and disability organisations 

There are organisations that can help if you have mobility problems or a disability.

England

English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) 
01509 227750

Northern Ireland

Disability Sports Northern Ireland
028 9046 9925

Scotland

Scottish Disability Sport
0131 317 1130

Wales

Disability Sports Wales
0300 300 3115

Walking sport

Walking sports are a fun and sociable way to become more active at the right level for you. Below are some links that you may find helpful, but walking sports are often organised locally, so keep an eye out in your local area for details of walking sport sessions. 

Walking football

Find your nearest walking football club at Walking Football United. If you live in Scotland, you can find out more about local groups on the Paths for All website. 

Walking netball

If you live in England, you can find your nearest walking netball session on the England Netball website. There may be sessions in other areas of the UK. Get in touch with your regional governing body for more information: Welsh Netball, Netball NI, Netball Scotland.

Walking cricket

Get in touch with your local cricket board or union to find out if they arrange walking cricket sessions in your area. Find your local cricket board or union via the England and Wales Cricket Board, Cricket Ireland or Cricket Scotland.

Walking hockey

Walking hockey is a fairly new walking sport. To find out if there are any sessions in your area, get in touch with your national hockey association: England Hockey, Ulster Hockey, Scottish Hockey or Hockey Wales.

Bowls

Find out about bowls in your area at Bowls England, the Northern Ireland Bowling Association, Bowls Scotland or the Welsh Bowling Association.
 

Local events

You might like to try out these events in your local area:

  • Park run is an opportunity to exercise with others – and you don’t have to run, you can walk if you want to!
  • Green Gyms are free outdoor sessions where you can get involved with conservation projects such as planting trees and sowing meadows.

Exercise referral schemes 

Exercise referral schemes are designed to help people who need to become more active for health reasons.

If you live in Wales, you can find out more about the Welsh National Exercise Referral Scheme. If you live in England, Northern Ireland or Scotland, ask your GP whether there are exercise referral schemes available in your area.

If you have urgent concerns or need advice quickly, call our helpline on 03000 030 050 between 9am and 5pm on a weekday or email them.

Download our keeping active with a lung condition information (343KB, PDF) Order your keeping active with a lung condition information

Last medically reviewed: August 2017. Due for review: August 2020

This information uses the best available medical evidence and was produced with the support of people living with lung conditions. Find out how we produce our information. If you’d like to see our references get in touch.