Asthma and Exercise

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sinder3lla0708
sinder3lla0708 Posts: 1 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey Everyone..What exercise is the best for someone with Asthma that can't do much physically?

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  • White_n_Nerdy
    White_n_Nerdy Posts: 22 Member
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    It really depends on your preferences. My asthma gets pretty bad with exercise, and the treadmill kills me so I avoid it at all costs. I find that the elliptical, cross trainer, and bike are all relatively mild on my asthma. I've recently started swimming, which works fine if I take pauses between laps to catch my breath. I also like taking walks and doing leisurely sporting activities like shooting hoops or playing catch.

    Honestly, just get up and get active! Find something you enjoy doing; as long as you aren't sitting on your bum doing nothing, it's exercise!
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    Talk to your dr. If you are in general out of breath and you cannot do much physically because of this, you need to change your meds. If you have exercise induced asthma, you might need to use your inhaler about half an hour before exercising.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    Hey Everyone..What exercise is the best for someone with Asthma that can't do much physically?

    In the absence of more information, difficult to say. Aerobic exercise will improve your ability to tolerate exercise stress over time, it's a reasonable coping strategy for asthmatics.

    Personally I'd suggest starting with walking, then add in some pacing intervals and increase your speeds/ distances over time.
  • julielh72
    julielh72 Posts: 92 Member
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    Hey Everyone..What exercise is the best for someone with Asthma that can't do much physically?

    In the absence of more information, difficult to say. Aerobic exercise will improve your ability to tolerate exercise stress over time, it's a reasonable coping strategy for asthmatics.

    Personally I'd suggest starting with walking, then add in some pacing intervals and increase your speeds/ distances over time.

    This is exact what I have done over the last 2 years...am now running 8K. Don't let asthma hold you back.
    Intervals on any equipment will help. I've done it on the rower, stationary bike, treadmill and elliptical.
  • GillianMcK
    GillianMcK Posts: 401 Member
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    Think you would need to try and see what it's like, what do you do at the moment as a base to start from??

    If you walk, look at a C25K program that starts you off jogging for 1 minute, walking 90secs, if that's too much take it back to jogging 30secs, walking 45secs, you need to increase your heartrate to find out what happens. Probably wouldn't recommend HIIT or Tabatta to start with, but running, cycling, cross-trainer can all increase the heartrate and give you a base to start from.
  • RunnerElizabeth
    RunnerElizabeth Posts: 1,091 Member
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    I have asthma. I wasn't able to participate in gym and all that when I was in school. Asthma doesn't have to keep you from doing things, you just have to build up to it gradually over time.

    I run. When i first started with c25k in 2011, I couldn't run for 30 seconds and i wasn't able to finish the program on my first attempt because i kept getting sick. But now I can run for 3 hours without stopping for a walk break, which is about 16 miles for me, not lightening fast, but a good solid effort.

    You just have to find something you enjoy and keep at it. Since my successful attempt at running in 2012 my asthma has never been better. I don't even have to take my controller meds year round anymore. Usually just during early spring allergies and fall allergies.

    Anyway, you're just going to have to try things. Start slow with whatever you do and be prepared that it may take you longer to make progress, but you can still do it if you put the work in. Good luck!
  • andream1976
    andream1976 Posts: 77 Member
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    I have asthma, as well, and have found that as long as I am on my regular asthma meds and take my albuterol about half an hour before I workout I can do just fine. Very rarely do I get so out of breath that I need to stop or take my inhaler during the workout. Most of this has to do with getting your asthma under control in the first place and then knowing what you need to do to keep it there. I thought for the longest time that I couldn't handle much physical activity because I would get out of breath just walking up the stairs, but it was just because my asthma wasn't under control. Once I found an effective mix of meds and learned to build up my endurance I have done very well. I love to Zumba and alternate that with Leslie Sansone's "Walk Away the Pounds" dvds. I've never been a runner, but sometimes will jog on the treadmill. Good luck to you. You can do it, just know what you need to do to stay healthy. :)
  • Monty_P
    Monty_P Posts: 62 Member
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    How bad is your asthma and what medication do you take?

    I have mine pretty much under control. I have to take my Ventolin inhaler 15-30 mins before I do any exercise but it hasn't limited me much.
  • kaylatee0
    kaylatee0 Posts: 65 Member
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    Talk to you doctor about how to control your Asthma, instead of designing your exercise to accommodate asthma.

    I suffer from severe asthma, and recently ran 15KM at a 6.8mph pace without once feeling like my asthma was acting up or I needed an inhaler.

    I take a preventative inhaler once per day, and an emergency inhaler before strenuous exercise or if I’m actually having an attack (which I haven’t in 6+ months)

    Learning to breathe and build your endurance will be key. As the others have said, start slow with a program like C25K while you learn to control your breathing. My first C25K run I was huffing and puffing, I thought I was going to die. Now I don’t even think about my asthma.

    Some basic yoga classes are also great for learning how to breathe!

    Don’t let Asthma get in your way!! I let it stop me from exercising for years and years until I realized that I can control it
  • zanne54
    zanne54 Posts: 336 Member
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    I was diagnosed with mild to moderate, exercise-induced asthma. I'd usually take a couple puffs of my inhaler before exercising as a preventative. I avoided running because it would make my lungs hurt.

    Then I tried the C25K program (Couch to 5 K). The walking intervals allowed me to catch my breath well before the "seized" or "pain" stage. And then, magically it got easier - fast. I'm now almost through the Bridge to 10K trainer, and the longest I've run non-stop was 32:37 at my first 5K race. I've also gotten a little faster (but still, I'm more tortoise than hare) - my pace is around 6:15/km or 10 minutes/mile. I haven't used my inhaler for ages, and haven't had any trouble. Of course, I'll keep it handy when it gets more humid or the pollution index is elevated, but the slow & steady pace has been working so far, and my asthma problems have significantly decreased to virtually none. Not medical advice, of course - just my experience.
  • liljen69
    liljen69 Posts: 45
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    I have exercise-induced asthma and never knew it until after I started running (mainly because I had never exercised before). Using the inhaler before running has really helped control the coughing, wheezing, and chest pain. Like others have said, the more I run, the better my lungs get. I have a hard time running when it's cold outside or if it's humid but I manage by using the inhaler and going slower.

    I remember hearing that swimming is a good exercise for asthmatics.

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