This is a question everyone wonders about. Did you know that people who exercise regularly are almost 2.5 times better at taking control of their asthma as compared to those who don’t? This was discovered through a study of 643 adults with asthma published in 2015 in the journal BMJ Open Respiratory Research.
Asthma can make exercising more challenging as one finds it hard to breathe. While many people want to skip physical activities as they think it triggers asthma, they tend to miss out on the key benefits of exercising, including taking better control of their asthma. But before you begin, don’t forget to talk to your doctor about the safe limits of exercise you can engage in.
While not all exercises are suitable for people with asthma, the following are some exercises that will not exacerbate the symptoms and can help decrease the frequency of such attacks:
One of the best exercises for people with asthma is swimming, as it builds up the muscles a person uses for breathing. It also exposes the lungs to a lot of moist and warm air, which makes it less likely to trigger asthma. A comprehensive medical review of eight studies of children and adolescents from 2013 showed that swimming increases lung function and cardiopulmonary fitness without any serious side effects in people with stable asthma.
Walking is a form of exercise that can be easily incorporated into one’s daily routine. A study published in 2006 showed that regular exercise, such as walking, improved symptoms of breathlessness (dyspnea) in subjects with moderate to severe chronic lung disease.
According to an asthma survey conducted in the UK, 69 per cent of people with asthma said that they enjoyed walking as a form of exercise. With so many apps and devices available today, it is easier to keep track of the number of steps completed in a day. It would be beneficial to walk instead of taking a car or public transport and achieve the set goal for the day.
Yoga is said to be another great form of exercise for people with asthma as it practices breathing control. A 12-week study in 2009 showed a significant improvement in asthma symptoms and lung function in subjects who practised breathing exercises twice a day, for 20 minutes each.
Yoga poses such as the Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana) and the Sitting Half Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana) expand the chest area and allow for better inhalation. Similarly, breathing practices such as the Alternate Nostril Breathing Technique (Nadi Shodhan Pranayama) are beneficial in reducing mucus congestion.
Racquet sports, such as badminton or table tennis, involve less running around when compared to other forms of exercise. These sports allow one to disburse energy with regular rests between games and also have access to water so that there is no dehydration which can aggravate exercise-induced asthma.
There are steps you can take to exercise safely with severe asthma:
It is important to always have the reliever inhaler by your side when you are exercising with asthma. If you feel the asthma symptoms are being triggered, take a break and take the inhaler and make sure that the symptoms subside before you get back to your exercise regime.
It is vital to acclimate the body to physical exertion before jumping into any kind of physical activity when exercising with asthma. Hence it is advisable to spend 5 to 10 minutes doing light warm-up exercises before starting any workout. One would not want to shock the system of the human body. Always keep in mind to always pace the body throughout the workout to avoid overexertion. Do not forget to have a cool-down session after the exercise.
It is important to take extra measures of precaution when dealing with cold weather. Wrap a scarf loosely around the mouth and nose to warm the air before it enters the airways. If one knows that cold weather triggers asthma, then it is best advised to stay indoors. Try to stick to activities which do not require a person to step outside, like yoga or walking on a treadmill.
It is important to stay away from pollen when a person with a history of asthma is exercising. Always make sure to check the weather report for pollen counts and air quality. If the report is not good, then it is best to opt for indoor activities. Also, stay away from busy roads and areas near factories. Always make sure that you inhale clean air as much as possible.
Also Read: Exercise to Increase Stamina: Science-Backed Strategies to Boost Your Endurance
Regular physical activity can lead to better management of asthma and its symptoms, especially in obese patients. A randomised controlled trial of 55 obese subjects showed significant clinical improvement in asthma control after being assigned to an exercise regime for 3 months.
One should avoid exercising if symptoms of asthma are present. Exercise is good for people with controlled symptoms of asthma. Talk to your doctor and understand the dos and don’ts of exercising if you are diagnosed with asthma. Stop exercising and consult a doctor immediately if you notice breathing difficulty or wheezing.
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Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.
Links and product recommendations in the information provided here are advertisements of third-party products available on the website. PharmEasy does not make any representation on the accuracy or suitability of such products/services. Advertisements do not influence the editorial decisions or content. The information in this blog is subject to change without notice. The authors and administrators reserve the right to modify, add, or remove content without notification. It is your responsibility to review this disclaimer regularly for any changes.
Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition that makes your bronchial tubes (airways of the lungs) swell up, become narrow and triggers respiratory distress. There are several causes and triggers of asthma and you must know what they are so that you can keep track of them to prevent asthma attacks.
Right at the start, we need to distinguish between the causes and triggers. Causes refer to the underlying factors and reasons that lead to asthma. Triggers mean the conditions that aggravate or usher in an asthma attack. Knowledge of both causes and triggers will help you manage your asthma.
Here are some common asthma causes-
If someone you are related to by blood has asthma, then you might be born with a predisposition to asthma. Even if a family member is prone to allergies or hay fever, it could increase your chances of getting asthma.
Children who are susceptible to allergies are more likely to develop asthma than other children. This is one of the major childhood asthma causes.
Being born before 37 weeks makes asthma very likely in a child especially if a ventilator was used to help the baby breathe. Being born prematurely means the lungs have not developed early and the immune system is not as strong as it should be.
Another cause of asthma is a low birth weight (even if the child is born on or a little after the due date).
This disorder is caused by a virus and like asthma, it too causes inflammation of both the airways and the lungs, which makes breathing laboured. Frequent episodes of bronchiolitis can eventually cause asthma.
Once a child develops asthma it lasts lifelong. But sometimes adults who did not have asthma as a child can contract this respiratory illness. This is called adult-onset asthma and doctors have not been able to pinpoint what causes it. But they have identified the following risk factors – exposure to pollen, mold, chemicals or cigarette smoke.
Some women contract asthma during their menopause and it results from a drastic hormonal change.
Asthma triggers bring on sudden breathing difficulty in people (both adults and children) or cause a flare-up of asthma symptoms.
Allergies are one of the chief causes of asthma attacks. Allergens are those substances that induce an allergic reaction in your body when your immune system tries to fight back against the alien objects that can cause harm. Allergens are usually present in the air you breathe in. You should try to avoid these known asthma-triggering allergens –
Irritants are different from allergens. They do not cause an allergic reaction but they will still trigger an asthma episode because they agitate the sensitive airways of a person with asthma. Here are some dangerous irritants –
These are also the causes of asthma in adults.
Your line of work could expose you to dust, chemicals, particles of grains, wood or similar irritants and continued exposure to them could bring about an asthma attack. This is called ‘occupational asthma’.
If you contract respiratory infections, it may in turn trigger an asthma attack. Try not to catch a –
Exercise makes you breathe more rapidly and it is a common asthma trigger. Physical activity can constrict the bronchial tubes and the symptoms will manifest within minutes of exercising. This is called an exercise-induced asthma attack. You have to learn to what extent you can work out without aggravating your asthma so that you do not have to forgo exercise, which is vital to your health.
Environmental control is vital if one wants to avoid recurrent attacks. Allergen avoidance can significantly improve the quality of life. This means avoiding tobacco, dust mites, animals, and pollen.
Dr. M.G. Kartheeka, MBBS, MD
Some types of weather can make asthma worse. Bitter cold winds, high humidity and moist clammy weather can trigger an asthma attack.
Asthma and bronchitis are commonly confused as they both present with almost similar symptoms and are inflammatory conditions of the airways. Bronchodilators and intermittent steroids help to relieve symptoms in both conditions.
Dr. Ashish Bajaj, M.B.B.S., M.D.
Not being able to get a grip on your emotions can summon an asthma attack. When you feel intense emotions, your heart rate and breathing shoot up and if your lungs are not able to cope with the change, then you will start wheezing and gasping for breath.
The emotions and resultant actions you should try to tone down are –
Some medicines can trigger asthma attacks. In such cases, doctors will prescribe substitute medicines.
Certain health conditions will not only trigger but compound your asthma-
If you are pregnant then you should take special care against asthma.
The causes and triggers of asthma vary from one person to another. From your experience, you can identify which asthma causes an attack. Understanding your condition is instrumental in efficiently managing your asthma.
Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.
Links and product recommendations in the information provided here are advertisements of third-party products available on the website. PharmEasy does not make any representation on the accuracy or suitability of such products/services. Advertisements do not influence the editorial decisions or content. The information in this blog is subject to change without notice. The authors and administrators reserve the right to modify, add, or remove content without notification. It is your responsibility to review this disclaimer regularly for any changes.
