Asthma Exercise and its Effects
Asthma exercise should be considered only under a doctor’s advice. Seventy per cent of asthmatics suffer to some degree from exercise induced asthma. Breathing rapidly through your mouth from exercise exertion can trigger asthma. However with proper management asthma exercise can be part of any asthmatic’s life.
Some suggestions for making asthma exercise comfortable:
- Always do a 5-10 minutes warm up before starting any exercise, this way the body will gradually warm up instead of the sudden rush of adrenaline and shortness of breath.
- Work out slowly keeping your heart rate low – below 140 beats a minute. You will be at risk of an asthma attack should you choose to do a vigorous exercise that will get you heart rate to 170 beats a minute. Keep in mind that exercise induced asthma (EIA) does not occur during the exercise but only after about 10-15 minutes.
- Swimming is generally a great asthma exercise.
- Do not skip the “cool down” after each vigorous exercise. This helps with moderating the air gradually cooling your body and reducing the risk of an asthma attack.
- Avoid strenuous exercise as much as possible.
- At times it helps to use an inhaled medication before beginning an exercise. This helps to keep your airways open and you to have a good workout.
Be extremely careful when exercising in warm climates or when the pollen levels are high. In winter it is advised to limit outdoor exercise or if you must exercise try breathing through a scarf or mask. Cold, dry air increases the risk of an asthma attack.
Asthma is a lung disease that is usually chronic and can turn fatal if not properly managed. During an asthma attack the air passages become narrow and/or blocked by mucus. Asthma attacks can be triggered by allergens such as pollen, molds, animal dander, medications, chemicals in certain foods and dust.
Tobacco smoke, exhaust fumes, household cleaners act as irritants for asthma sufferers. Sometimes even sudden changes in temperature, humidity or strong winds can trigger asthma.
Asthma exercise should be performed with extreme caution and with a scheduled practice. Keeping medication handy is something asthma patients learn really quickly as, if an attack is not treated immediately in can turn fatal.
The bright side is asthma can be kept under control with the right medication and there is no reason why one who suffers from this illness to have to give up exercise or anything else for that matter.
