I would love to improve my fitness, but I suffer from Asthma. I've started to put on some weight and generally feel unhealthy due to a sedentary lifestyle. I'm afraid of suffering from an exercise induced asthmatic episode, that's why I have never participated in exercise before. Someone told me recently that exercise can actually help to relieve the symptoms of asthma. Is this true? Can exercise have benefits for asthma sufferers like myself? What are the recommendations of exercise for asthma sufferers?
Answer:
Exercise definitely has lots of benefits for people who suffer from asthma. Asthma should not be a barrier from including exercise activity in your life. The plus factors far outweigh the negatives as long as you are sensible and know your limitations.
Some of the benefits of exercise for asthmatics can be;
- Increased strength and endurance of respiratory muscles
- Reduction in the feeling of shortness of breath
- Reduction in medication dependence
- Reduction in asthmatic episodes
Before you start any new exercise program, get checked out by your Doctor. This is sound advice for anyone, not just someone suffering from asthma or any other illness. Your Doctor can tell you whether you are fit to participate and can advise you how to cope with exercise induced asthmatic episodes.
Although exercise induced asthma can not be completely ruled out when participating in exercise activity, there are certain precautions that you can take to help prevent an asthmatic episode. Than main thing about exercising with asthma is you need to be aware of your current state before, during and after participating in an exercise session. Know what your personal best (PB) peak flow reading is and always check your peak flow prior to exercising. If your peak flow is less than 80% of your PB, then train with caution. If it's less than 60% then do not train at all as an attack may be imminent. Here are some guidelines before you start exercising;
- Take your medication
- Check your peak flow, before, during and after exercise
- Always have your reliever medication close to hand
- Never train alone
Exercise guidelines for asthmatics;
The focus should be around cardiovascular training (CV). Because this will help to strengthen the lungs. Asthmatics should always warm up thoroughly before exercising. This is the most important part of the exercise routine. Warm up gradually until the main CV session. The CV session should be performed at a moderate intensity (60 to 80%). For resistance training asthmatics are advised to avoid training with heavy weights. The focus should be on lighter weights, with higher repetitions and working until the last rep feels difficult to do. The cool down should be like the warm up. Always cool down and always stretch. This helps to relax you at the end of each session and helps to prevent injury.
- Warm up - Should be slightly longer. 10 to 15 minutes every session
- CV Training - 30 minutes at a moderate intensity. 3 to 5 times per week
- Resistance Training - Circuit format. Light weights, 1-2 sets of (15-20 repetitions)
- Cool down - Like warm up, slightly longer. 10 to 15 minutes every session
- Flexibility - Every session.
Asthmatics would benefit from exercising outside in a warm climate away from dusty gyms and air conditioning. The clearer the air the better. However colder days could cause problems. It's also advisable for asthmatics to stay away from swimming as chlorine can aggravate asthma.
