Objective To investigate the effect of aerobic combined with resistance training on exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with severe or very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods Thirty patients with severe or very severe COPD were randomly divided into the control group (n=15) and the exercise group (n=15) from January 2011 to January 2013. The control group was given health education and routine drug treatment. The exercise group was given muscle relaxation and 6-week aerobic combined resistance exercise training on the basis of the control group. Pulmonary function, 6-minute walk test (6MWT), 30-second sit-to-stand (30-STS), 30-second arm curl test (30-ACT), Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale (MRC), COPD Assessment Test (CAT), Beck Anxiety and Depression Scale were performed before and after intervention in both groups. Results After intervention, compared with those in the control group, the 6MWT, 30-STS and 30-ACT in the exercise group increased significantly [(518.44±84.62) vs. (412.93±82.53) m, (24.53±3.98) vs. (16.87±3.91) times, (26.07±3.41) vs. (17.93±3.39) times, P<0.05], while the CAT score, Beck anxiety and depression scores decreased significantly (4.87±3.68vs. 26.10±10.18, 2.47±1.81 vs. 11.50±4.89, 2.27±2.49 vs. 12.20±6.35, P<0.05), and MRC score also decreased significantly [1.0 (1.0, 2.0)vs. 2.0 (2.0, 4.0), P<0.05]. There was no statistical difference in pulmonary function between the two groups before or after intervention (P>0.05). Conclusion Exercise-based pulmonary rehabilitation can significantly improve the treatment outcomes in Chinese patients with severe or very severe COPD.