Severe asthmatic how can I exercise?

Options
2»

Replies

  • Chagama
    Chagama Posts: 543 Member
    Options
    Don't go to your regular family doctor, go to a pulmanologist. There are many maintenance medications out there, and they will know what is current and be able to work with you. I've had asthma all my life, and still manage to exercise regularly. And, exercising will help your asthma. When I'm good at working out and doing a lot of running, my lung capacity increases over time which helps control the asthma. You may need to start very slow and build up endurance over time, but it can be done. I also find I have to make other accommodations, such as wearing a face mask when I run in cold weather. It keeps the air that I'm breathing warm and moist and makes a big difference. And my definition of cold for asthma purposes is different than most people, so I get some odd looks at times, but it works for me. Three of my kids also have asthma, and are on different maintenance medications and can all participate in sports and exercise. It just takes some time with an expert doctor to get the right medications and find the right routines.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    Options
    I also have bad asthma, although mine seems to have gotten better with exercise. I'm on Advair 250/50 right now which helps. I think that you should really ask your doctor. It doesn't sound like a gym membership has much to do with it, since you couldn't do cardio there. Why not try free weights at home and see if that's too much for you?
  • albinogorilla
    albinogorilla Posts: 1,056 Member
    Options
    I will see if I can find a place to start walking and I will look into the strength training, but I was told that strength training can cause you to gain more pounds because you are building the muscle? I don't want to get discouraged if I start seeing my weight go back up when I need to be loosing weight.

    That's true, but if I remember it depends on how you go about your strength training. If you do heavy weights in low reps then you'll build muscle which will lead to definite weight gain, but if you do light weights in high reps then that will serve to tone the areas your working as opposed to building on the muscle that's there already.

    unless you are eating a surplus of calories, you will not gain weight, strength training or not. I ONLY strength train, no cardio, and have lost weight steadily. Adding muscle is like adding fat, it can only happen with a surplus of calories, just as you lose weight with a deficit. Conversely...........if you try to lose weight, without strength training, you will lose muscle as well as fat.

Categories