If you’re one of the millions of Americans with asthma, you know how easily this chronic lung disease can steal your breath when something — allergens, cold air, smoke, or a virus — irritates your airways, causing them to swell and fill with mucus.
The main goal of asthma treatment is to keep the condition well-controlled and help you maintain a normal, healthy life. Comprehensive asthma management includes:
Regular physical activity is also part of effective asthma management — even for people with exercise-induced asthma. Here, our team at Fivestar Pulmonary Associates explains why and discusses safe ways to stay active when you’re living with asthma.
In the not-so-distant past, doctors generally regarded asthma patients as inherently frail individuals who should avoid moderate to intense physical exertion or exercise to prevent severe asthma attacks. Unfortunately, these old-school guidelines have given rise to the persistent myth that exercise is bad for asthma control.
Today, medical experts have a far more advanced understanding of asthma pathology and management — and how exercise benefits both. Increasing evidence shows two things: Regular exercise is associated with better overall asthma control, fewer exacerbations, and lower health care use, while inactivity is associated with worse asthma outcomes.
Regular physical activity is good for your overall health, pulmonary (lung) health, and asthma control. Daily exercise can help your asthma directly by:
It can also help your asthma indirectly, through other exercise-related health benefits. For example, physical activity improves immune system function, reducing your risk of a viral infection that can trigger an asthma attack.
Regular exercise also releases “feel-good” endorphins and supports better weight control, lowering your odds of having an asthma attack induced by stress, anxiety, or excess weight.
Most people with asthma can fully participate in all types of exercise. Workouts that are less likely to aggravate asthma symptoms include low-impact activities like walking, hiking, and biking, as well as sports that involve short bursts of energy, like volleyball or tennis.
Swimming and water workout classes are ideal activities because when you’re in the pool, you’re breathing warm, moist air that soothes your airways.
Workouts that may be more challenging with asthma include endurance activities that involve longer periods of exertion, such as distance running and soccer, as well as cold-weather sports, like hockey or cross-country skiing.
Still, more challenging doesn’t mean off-limits: Plenty of people with asthma can participate fully in such activities with the guidance of their asthma action plan.
Good asthma control during exercise begins with a conversation. Our team can help you decide which activities are right for you and which you might want to avoid. We also create an asthma action plan that tells you what to do before a workout — and what to do if you have symptoms during exercise.
In general, asthma control during exercise involves:
Asthma control during exercise also means paying attention to warning signs of an impending attack — like shortness of breath, wheezing, a cough, or chest tightness — and acting right away. Stop your activity, take your quick-relief inhaler medicine, sit down, and try to relax. Call for emergency help if your symptoms don’t improve or if they worsen.
Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction — formerly known as exercise-induced asthma — can happen to anyone, including people who don’t have asthma. If exercise is one of your known asthma triggers, you can still stay active with the right precautions.
If asthma is stopping you from being as active as you’d like, we can help. Take our online asthma control test, or call or click online to schedule a visit at your nearest Fivestar Pulmonary Associates office in Allen, McKinney, or Plano, Texas, today.
