Significance: Walking is the most common form of physical activity. Chosen walking speed and the capacity to endure walking at different speeds can help quantify disability. Also, studies that examine the effect of PR on survival are not available. However, indirect evidence suggests that PR improves many of the risk factors associated with mortality in patients with COPD. This study will examine the effect of PR on the usual walking speed selected by individuals with symptomatic lung disease, which has been demonstrated to be a predictor of mortality in elderly individuals. Therefore, our study may contribute to the indirect evidence for the effects of PR on survival.