Asthmatic Running Tips?

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dottheallison
dottheallison Posts: 42
in Fitness and Exercise
Anyone else on here an asthmatic trying to get into or already running on a regular basis? I think I'm doing alright: having worked my way over a month from jogging for 30 seconds-ish (and feeling death) up to jogging a quarter mile in about 1.5-2 minutes and being okay. But my breathing gives out before the rest of me does. Tips anybody on breathing/stretching/whatever?

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  • innocenceportrayed
    innocenceportrayed Posts: 569 Member
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    I USED to have asthma when I first started running and it may come back now that I'm out of shape, but honestly I never had horrible asthma, I used an inhaler maybe once a week. BUT I know a lot of people with it and they say that it takes time, that you have to train your lungs to become stronger just like you have to train any other part of your body. Your body knows what it can handle. Keep a rescue inhaler with you just in case but just go slow, you will have to push yourself, but like I said, you body knows what it can handle, trust it.
  • pandoraparadox
    pandoraparadox Posts: 4 Member
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    I have "exercise-induced" asthma so I'm pretty much just supposed to take two puffs of my albuterol inhaler 15 minutes before I do any sort of workout or cardio activity, and generally that helps me breathe a lot better. Have you talked to your doctor? He or she may have recommendations about how to help you exercise.

    As for me, I think I definitely have it a lot easier than you do, but what's helped me to get better at running without taxing my lungs too much is to go slow and to do intervals. So if I could only run for a minute at a time, I'd do that minute, then take a break walking (say 1-5 minutes, however much is necessary to recover) and then I'd run again. It might be worth trying a slightly less intense cardio exercise (e.g. maybe fast walking or an elliptical if you have access to one) to build up your endurance before trying to run too long. I did a less intense dance video for a few weeks before I started doing running intervals, and that sort of transition step really helped me.

    Good luck! :)
  • runzalot81
    runzalot81 Posts: 782 Member
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    I use ProAir before every workout and I'm fine.

    Keep in mind that everyone who is becoming a runner feels like they have asthma :) Just use your inhaler correctly and let your heart and lungs sort out the rest.
  • dottheallison
    dottheallison Posts: 42
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    Thanks, guys!

    I use an albuterol inhaler before I exercise also and it really does help. Currently, my asthma diagnosis is chronic, which technically means "it won't go away". But as I didn't grow up with asthma I am hopeful that as I get back into better shape it WILL go away!
    Intervals are how I've worked up to where I am, the going just seemed so slow that I thought maybe you guys might know something I didn't but it seems my instincts were right. Thanks for the encouragement! :)
  • amyram
    amyram Posts: 108 Member
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    I also have excersise induced athsma, I started out with the c25k program and currently run 5k every other day. I take a puff before I start. When I started if I forgot to take a puff before starting, my lungs would quit inside 5 min, now when I forget I can make it 2 miles or more before I have to walk. So I think your right that regular exersice will improve athsma.
  • sandimack
    sandimack Posts: 158 Member
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    I've always had trouble with asthma, you can build up your fitness and go off puffers and singular. I built up endurance doing boot camp for the last year. I'm now off all DAILY Meds and can run, workout, Play tennis for over 2 hrs. You will get there, good luck

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