How to Work Out When You Suffer from Asthma

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Working out is great for your health and fitness, however, suffering from asthma could make getting fit more of a problem. The good news is that if you’re one of the approximately twenty million American citizens with asthma, your condition doesn’t have to stand in the way of your health and fitness levels. In fact, as many as one in twelve professional athletes take asthma medication, so good management of the condition with medication and the right types of exercise is key to avoiding asthma symptoms when you exercise. Read on for more tips on working out with asthma.

Tip #1. Choose Gentle Exercises:

Suffering from asthma can mean that any exercise which leaves you feeling breathless could trigger an asthma attack. Strenuous exercises where you really push yourself can be great for improving your health and fitness levels but can be a risk factor if you’re suffering with asthma. Instead, start off with gentler exercises such as walking – recent studies have shown that adults who took a half-hour walk three times each week for a twelve-week period didn’t just improve their fitness levels, but also managed to get better control of their asthma symptoms.

Tip #2. Warm Up:

Whatever kind of workout you’ve decided to do, warming up and cooling down are vital parts of the process that should never be skipped. Warming up is super important because it’ll get your body ready for working out and improve your tolerance, helping you to go harder for longer without triggering an asthma attack. Your warmup exercises will depend on the type of workout you’re preparing for but could include gentle walking and dynamic stretching. One good option is to do a lower-intensity version of the workout you’re preparing for; for example, walking before running or resistance exercises with just your bodyweight before picking up dumbbells.

Tip #3. Practice Yoga:

Yoga is an excellent choice of workout for people suffering from asthma, especially as it focuses strongly on controlling breathing. In fact, one study found that people who practiced yoga for just over two hours per week over a twelve-week period were able to improve their symptoms so much they were able to reduce their dosage of asthma medication. The emphasis on breathing during yoga allows you to stay in control whilst working out and understand the early signs of a possible attack.

Tip #4. Find a Respiratory Therapist:

Lastly, working with a respiratory therapist can be a great option for anybody who wants to work out and improve their asthma symptoms. Your respiratory therapist will be able to give you personally tailored advice for managing your condition when working out, along with ideas for asthma-friendly workouts or lifestyle habits you can change to improve your results. Check out the best respiratory therapy programs for more information.

Asthma can bring about shortness of breath and other symptoms when exercising, but it doesn’t have to get in the way of keeping fit. Were these tips helpful? Let us know in the comments.

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