How To Stay Active With Asthma

Asthma can leave you feeling breathless and winded, especially after exercise. However, regular physical activity can improve your lung health and reduce your asthma symptoms overall: the important thing is to know what type and amount of exercise is best for you. 

Here at WiseCare Urgent Care, Dr. Perry Weisman and his team of medical professionals in Pasadena, MD, support asthma sufferers by providing tailored exercise recommendations based on your specific symptoms and triggers. 

What triggers asthma?

Asthma is a chronic illness that makes the passages in your lungs get swollen, irritated, and inflamed. This can often lead to coughing fits, wheezing, and sensations of breathlessness. 

Some people have asthma that is triggered by allergies such as mold, pollen, and dust while others have asthma that is triggered by irritants such as smoke, pollution, and perfumes. 

For some people, exercise can trigger asthma, sometimes called exercise-induced asthma. Scientists believe that this may be because exercise encourages people to breathe faster and through their mouths, making the air colder and drier. This cold dry air can be more irritating to your lungs and trigger an asthma attack. 

Benefits of exercise for asthma

While some types of activities can trigger asthma and leave you reluctant to exercise in the future, asthma-friendly exercise habits can actually improve your lung capacity and endurance over time. This can help you manage your symptoms better and make you less susceptible to asthma attacks in the future. 

Asthma-friendly exercises

Asthma-friendly exercises usually emphasize gentle low-intensity activity or short bursts of high-intensity activity. Here are some of the best exercises for asthma sufferers.

Walking

Walking remains one of the best types of asthma-friendly exercises because it is low intensity and easily adaptable to your circumstances. While warm, humid conditions are often the most favorable for people with asthma, you can feel more comfortable on cold, dry days by using a scarf to cover your nose. If you are sensitive to pollen and pollution, we recommend checking the weather before walking outdoors. 

Swimming

Swimming involves warmer, moister air than other activities, which means it’s less likely to cause asthma symptoms. Some people also respond well to the added water pressure on their chest. 

Swimming strengthens the lungs and is a low-impact way to build muscle strength, thanks to the added buoyancy and support of water.

Sports with breaks 

If you’re an athlete diagnosed with asthma, you may be wondering if you’ll be able to continue to enjoy your regular sports. Sports that involve frequent breaks, such as gymnastics, baseball, and sprinting are best for people with asthma, while sports like long-distance running, skiing and basketball can be especially triggering. 

Tips for staying active

Regardless of the type of exercise you choose, there are a number of general tips that can help you reduce your discomfort and risk of asthma symptoms. 

• Remember to always warm up and cool down. In addition to warming up your muscles, this can also help warm up the air that enters your body as well.

• Avoid exercising outside when dust, pollen, or another asthma trigger is high.

• Practice breathing exercises. Yoga, meditation, tai chi, and other activities that involve careful breathing can help you control your breath and keep it warm and moist.

For treatment of your asthma and other chronic health conditions, visit WiseCare Urgent Care. Contact us by phone, use our online tool to save a place in line, or just walk in.