COPD has a major impact on daily functioning. Many people with COPD experience symptoms such as shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, and a quickly dysregulated breathing rate. Breathing exercises play an important role in reducing these symptoms and increasing confidence in one’s own abilities. The SilverFit Flow supports this process with motivating, scientifically grounded exercises that guide patients in a playful way toward more efficient and calmer breathing.
In 2025, the SilverFit Flow will be expanded with a new software update, including a practical exercise selection diagram. This diagram helps therapists determine even more accurately which breathing exercise best fits the observations made during treatment.
The strength of SilverFit Flow in COPD care
The SilverFit Flow uses real-time biofeedback: patients can immediately see how their breathing relates to the exercise on the screen. This visualizes breathing in an accessible way, helping patients quickly understand what is expected. For many people with COPD, this is an effective way to learn to breathe more consciously and better manage breathlessness.
By tailoring the exercises in SilverFit Flow to the client, progress becomes clear and clients are positively encouraged to improve with each session. This creates a structured and motivating rehabilitation process.
The practical challenge: which exercise do you choose and when?
In daily care practice, it can be difficult to directly connect observed changes in breathing to the most suitable exercise. COPD patients often show a wide range of breathing patterns, such as:
- an increased breathing frequency,
- difficulty fully exhaling,
- an irregular rhythm,
- or very shallow breathing.
Because treatment programs are often dynamic and time-intensive, it’s helpful to act quickly and confidently. That is exactly why SilverFit has introduced the exercise selection diagram.
The new exercise selection diagram: a direct link between observation and intervention
The exercise selection diagram is based on the KNGF (Royal Dutch Association for Physiotherapy)-COPD guideline (2022) and developed in consultation with physiotherapists. It is designed to support therapists in choosing the most appropriate SilverFit Flow exercises based on recognizable breathing symptoms. It translates common observations directly into exercise recommendations. Examples include:
- Excessive coughing → exercise focused on removing sputum using the huffing technique: Dandelion game.
- Shallow breathing pattern → coach deeper inhalation: Diamond Mine game.
- Increased breathing frequency → normalize breathing rhythm and create relaxation: Starry Road game.
Therapists can easily hang the exercise selection diagram in the treatment room so it is always within reach. A digital version is also available on request for teams who prefer working digitally.
The goal of this exercise selection diagram is clear: to make the translation from breathing symptom to exercise easier, faster, and more consistent.
What does this mean for COPD treatments?
The combination of SilverFit Flow and the new exercise selection diagram offers several benefits within COPD rehabilitation:
- More confidence and structure for the therapist
It becomes easier to respond appropriately to observed breathing patterns. This increases treatment efficiency and quality. - Consistent approach within teams
When different therapists use the same tools, a uniform and reliable working method emerges. - Higher patient motivation
Because the right exercise is selected more quickly, patients experience moments of success earlier. This increases their motivation to keep practicing actively. - Better monitoring and insight
Targeted selection of exercises makes it easier to follow progress and tailor interventions to individual needs.
Technology as a partner in breathing care
With the exercises of SilverFit Flow and the introduction of the exercise selection diagram, SilverFit demonstrates how technology can contribute to future oriented COPD care. By combining therapeutic expertise with smart digital support, an environment is created in which COPD patients gain greater control over their breathing and therefore over their daily lives.
