Individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are very sedentary and their physical activity is often interrupted by acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD). Little is known about the expectations had by individuals with COPD and the effects of these expectations on their physical activity. To increase the understanding of these expectations in people with COPD, a study is proposed to explore their experience of daily fluctuations in symptoms and AECOPDs, focusing on how these experiences influence health promoting behaviors, especially physical activity (PA).