Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetically inherited disease that predisposes people to a range of complications, with chronic lung infection often being the most problematic. While many people born with CF used to die in childhood or adolescence, management of CF is has improved a lot, such that most now live to adulthood.

Traditionally, one of the recommended components of management are manual physiotherapy techniques designed to clear the airways of infection.

Some similar techniques that the patient can apply independently have also been developed. However, a recent survey of 692 adults with CF has shown that many of these patients elect to use exercise as a substitute for traditional airway clearance techniques.