Exercise for Everyone: How to Exercise with Asthma
23rd Aug 19
Exercise is vital to a healthy lifestyle. It has a vast range of physical and mental benefits, and all of them need to be reaped to lead the healthiest and happiest lifestyle you can. This might not be news, but it always needs to be stated, and it’s a general rule for everyone. Here, we’re looking at exercising with asthma.
Asthma is a common condition which affects a considerable percentage of the population. It can be a big issue when it comes to exercising since it takes its toll on lung function and can cause various complications. With that being said, however, it’s always a good idea to look for alternative ways to exercise with asthma and how it can help with asthma outside of exercise too.
Let’s take a look:
Want to move fast? Jump to the right section below.
Exercising Helps Reduce Symptoms
The first thing that comes to mind for most people when we think about exercising with asthma is how it’s made possible. Asthma causes breathlessness, as much as anything else, so finding a way around it must be tricky, right? Well, not as hard as you might think.
Exercising can help reduce your asthma symptoms and manage it better than a lot of other things could (providing you’re on the correct medication). Exercising is one of the best ways to help improve your lung function. Asthma is often caused by becoming breathless and the reaction that that causes. However, exercise is one of the best ways to reduce this from everyday life, preventing it in the long term as your stamina increases. It’s a win-win, but that’s the long game.
Exercise Can Cause Asthma in Some Cases
So, that all sounds great, we know, and it is, in all fairness. There are still some things that you need to take into account, too, however, before you start training. It’s not always common, but it needs to be said. Exercise can be a trigger cause for people with asthma. So, before you begin, ensure you’re on the effective and correct treatment for your particular case. If your medication is working to prevent it, then you should be good to go. If it is causing you more trouble than you’d expect, go and talk to your GP or asthma nurse!
On top of that, if you do take up exercise, it’s also vital that you keep your inhaler with you at all times in case your symptoms begin to flare up. On top of that, make sure that you seek medical attention too if it worsens after that.
Getting Started
When you feel like you’re in the right place to start exercising, it’s always good advice to start out small. Don’t try and go for a 5-mile run or anything, but work up to it gradually. The general recommended amount of exercise is 150 minutes of moderate exercise over a week. Then, with that in mind, split that up however best you need to. Even in smaller intervals, multiple days a week is an excellent way to go about things.
Options
If you’re ready to go, you have a lot of choices out there. Some easier places to start will be from activities like LISS training. That’s going at a steady pace but for a prolonged period, like walking or cycling, so treadmills and exercise bikes can be effective here. You still burn a lot of calories over a long time, but without the intensity. It’s longer than other exercises, but that doesn’t make it worse.
Once you’re comfortable with going further, the world is your oyster. There are more activities available out there than you might realise. Take up a sport, join a club, hit the gym or work out from home. See what works best for you. Just keep in mind what we said above!
For more information and further guidance, visit:
https://www.asthma.org.uk/advice/living-with-asthma/exercise-and-activities
Before beginning any exercise or nutrition program, consult your physician, doctor or other professional. This is especially important for individuals over the age of 35 or persons with pre-existing health problems. Exercise.co.uk assumes no responsibility for personal injury or property damage sustained using our advice.
If you experience dizziness, nausea, chest pain, or any other abnormal symptoms, stop the workout at once and consult a physician or doctor immediately.
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