Feasibility of Integrating Street Racket Into Ambulatory Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Pulmonary rehabilitation (APR) is an effective and cost-efficient treatment for people with chronic lung diseases, as it can reduce hospital admissions and improve health. Despite this, many patients do not take part or drop out early. Common reasons include low motivation, difficulty attending sessions, or fear that the exercises are too demanding. Street Racket is a simple, playful, and flexible form of physical activity that may help overcome these barriers. It is easy to adapt, enjoyable in a group setting, and similar in intensity to existing pulmonary rehabilitation exercises. Social and team-based activities like Street Racket may also have positive effects on mental well-being. The study aims to assess how feasible the activity is, how well it is accepted by participants, and whether it can offer a more engaging and sustainable training option within APR. Participation in Street Racket sessions is voluntary and possible with or without study participation. For those who take part in the study, the training itself is exactly the same as for non-participants. The only difference is the additional data collection. Participants are asked to complete a short questionnaire after their first and last Street Racket session about how appropriate and feasible the activity feels. During each session, participants also rate their average and maximum breathlessness. Attendance is recorded, and if someone is absent, the reason is noted when known. In addition, routinely collected data from pulmonary rehabilitation-such as diagnosis, medication, and standard clinical test results-are analyzed. Training sessions are adapted to group size and ability level and usually consist of several short playing intervals with breaks and a cool-down. The activity can be modified to match different fitness levels, allowing people with varying physical capacities to participate together. Study participation ends automatically when the pulmonary rehabilitation program is completed.