BACKGROUND: Physical exercise training is the central component of pulmonary rehabilitation. This study aimed to further investigate the rehabilitative effects of pulmonary-based Qigong exercise (PQE) in stable patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: In this randomized, assessor-blinded clinical trial, 44 participants with stable COPD were randomly assigned to 2 groups in a 1:1 ratio. Participants in the control group received usual care for 3 months. Participants in the intervention group received usual care combined with PQE (60 min each time, 2 times per day, 7 days per week, for 3 months). The outcome included exercise capacity, lung function test, skeletal muscle strength, dyspnea, and quality of life were measured before and after intervention. RESULTS: A total of 37 participants completed the trial. Compared to the control group, after 3 months of PQE, the mean change in exercise capacity, skeletal muscle strength, and quality of life were statistically significant (p < 0.05, for each), but no significant differences were observed in lung function (except for the forced expiratory volume in one second) and dyspnea (p > 0.05, for each). CONCLUSION: The findings of study suggest that the proposed program of 3 months of PQE intervention has significant improvement in exercise capacity, skeletal muscle strength, and quality of life of COPD-stable patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (Trial ID: ChiCTR-1800017405 on 28 July 2018; available at https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=28343).

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