Weekly Training Article | Beneficial Exercises for Asthmatics | 6/13/11-6/19/11

There are forms of exercise that are better for those who have asthma.

Certain forms of exercise will cause more wheeziness or chest tightness than others.

For example, running outdoors is not as good as swimming.

Indeed swimming is one of the best forms of exercise for people with asthma because the swimmer is surrounded by warm, moist air.

On the other hand, if the air you breathe during exercise is cold and dry, then the asthma will be worse.

This tells us why swimming causes less asthma attacks than running, or other forms of exercise.

However, asthma and associated allergies can be complex as some asthmatics suffer worsening symptoms from the fumes (chlorine) in swimming pools.

The amount of time you exercise is important, as it usually takes at least six minutes of continuous exercise to trigger an exercise-induced asthma attack, and exercising for less time than this may not be enough to trigger an attack.

For a few hours after you’ve had the exercise-induced asthma, repeating the same amount of exercise will not produce the same asthma symptoms, and may even produce no asthma symptoms at all.

Some patients are able to avoid exercise-induced asthma by exercising with short bursts.

Therefore, asthmatics are particularly suited to sports and exercise which consist of short bursts of activity with periods of rest in-between.

While long-distance or cross-country running would be a bad choice of sport because they are undertaken outside in cold air without short breaks, others possible good exercises include:

*Football or hockey (or similar sports), as they are played in brief bursts with short breaks and periods of rest in-between.

*Swimming is a great form of exercise for anyone with asthma. The warm, moist air in the swimming pool is less likely to trigger symptoms of asthma.

*Yoga is a another exercise for people with asthma, as it relaxes the body and mind, reduces stress and is often done indoors where the air is warm.

There is evidence that indicates that gradual exercise can make you less prone to exercise-induced asthma.

But this disease does not automatically prevent a sufferer from enjoying sport at any level.

There have been many Olympians, including medalists, who were asthmatic and suffered from exercise-induced asthma.

However, having the needed medical advice, asthma management, treatment, as well as proper coaching, training and self-discipline that every Olympic athlete needs to have, the asthma problems were overcome.

There are steps to help you help you reduce the severity or number of asthma attacks. …

*Speak with your doctor and make sure that you are properly and safely using your asthma medications.

*Warming up and down to get your muscles ready, as well as your lungs.

*Be aware of the weather and environmental conditions.

*Stay fit. Aerobic exercise helps reduce the effects of asthma and is recommended by doctors for good health.

*One of the triggers of asthma is fatigue. Having strong lungs -- a benefit of exercise -- allows you to avoid the fatigue that brings on asthma attacks.

Source: articlecircle.com