OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of short-term rehabilitation therapy based on exercise on lung function in coal workers' with pneumoconiosis(CWP). METHODS: A total of 74 CWP patients were divided into control group(32) and treatment group(42) by random number table method. The control group received routine treatment only. The treatment group underwent 6 months of exercise-based rehabilitation treatment on the basis of routine treatment. The lung function was assessed in two groups to evaluate the treatment efficacy. RESULTS: Before rehabilitation treatment, the vital capacity(VC) and forced vital capacity(FVC) of patients in the treatment group were lower than that in the control group(P<0.05). But there was no significant difference in forced expiratory volume in first second(FEV_(1.0)) and FEV_(1.0)% between the two groups(P>0.05). After treatment, VC and FVC in the treatment group were higher than that before treatment in the same group(P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the four lung function indexes before and after treatment in the control group(P>0.05). The difference of VC and FVC before and after treatment in the treatment group was higher than those in the control group(P<0.01). However, there was no significant difference in FEV_(1.0 )and FEV_(1.0)% between the two groups before and after treatment(P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Exercise-based short-term rehabilitation therapy can improve lung ventilation of CWP patients.