HELP! - Losing weight with Exercise-induced asthma

Hi...I was diagnosed with asthma as a child. My Dad and Grandmother have had it so it is hereditary. As a child, I could barely run, dance or do high intensity exercises without getting an attack. It's not just exercise induced, I can get it from allergies, cold etc as well. I am 29 now and I can do spin classes, zumba, hiking and am currently attending a high-intensity fitness bootcamp 3 days a week. I still can't run for long periods but I am definitely running longer than I could as a child. I DO NOT take puffs from my inhaler before or after exercises since I don't believe in being dependent on medicines. Although I do carry my rescue inhaler all the time for emergencies (which I haven't encountered yet fortunately )

The answer to EIA is not to stop or reduce cardio in your workout but to start slow and pick up pace eventually. The key to increasing your lung capacity for high-intensity cardio is Interval training along with strength training. I started off with walking on the treadmill at a relatively fast pace. Think of it as just a notch below jogging speed. So if you can jog at 4-4.5 mph start with 3.5 mph speed and try to increase the speed every week. Take long steps rather than short quick steps.

Wear a heart rate monitor. I have found that my heart rate shoots up very quickly when I run or do high-intensity exercises. Your heart rate needs to be between 150-175. So as soon as you see you heart rate nearing 170, slow down, take a sip of water, relax and start again slowly when you feel better. Repeat. Always breathe through your nose while exercising and try to keep your body cool. Breathing through mouth can let germs and dust get in the lungs which can act as a trigger for asthma. Also, you need to keep your body cool, which means regular sips of water during the exercise.

If you are planning to run or exercise outdoors, consider getting a fleece mask or cold weather mask to cover your nose and mouth while running.

You can also do low intensity cardio like cycling or spinning. If you are joining a spin class, let your instructor know that you have EIA. He/she would tell you to take it at your own pace and also, to stop when it gets uncomfortable. Always know your limits.

Another thing that has helped me is doing weights. I started doing strength training last year and it has increased my stamina drastically. If you are like me, your leg and arm muscles aren't very strong because of lack of physical activity earlier in life. I do lunges (all kinds - side,front, back), planks, burpees, push ups, ab crunches, squats and weights for arms.

Swimming is a great low-intensity cardio workout for someone with asthma. It increases your lung capacity as well. However, it will take longer if you plan to lose weight just by swimming as it is a low intensity workout.

Dance and Zumba are also great for cardio if you are into them. I alternate between regular cardio & strength training, Dance, Zumba, swimming and High-Intensity Interval training to avoid boredom and to prevent my body from getting used to one kind of activity. Also, always always always warm up before starting any exercise. Warming up well (that is, getting you heart to a good rate of around 120-150) greatly reduces the chances of getting an attack while exercising later.

Do not let exercise-induced asthma let you think that you have limited exercising options for getting fitter. I have lost a around a stone (14 lbs or 6 kgs) and am on my way to losing another 6 kgs to reach my ideal weight. I am not letting EIA stop me from doing cardio so shouldn't you.

Hope it helps

Years ago, I had exercise induced asthma. I had to use an albuterol inhaler every time I exercised. Later I came to realize that my symptoms were worse when I exercised outside. A lot of my symptoms went away after years of allergy injections for environmental allergens (grass and tree pollens, etc.). In other words, many of my asthma problems weren't EXERCISE induced, they were ALLERGY induced. So give that some thought, just in case that might be contributing to your problem. Also, consider this . . . for some people, including me, caffeinated coffee is helpful in opening the airways. Try drinking it right before you exercise and see if it helps.

This has been my experience, too. After allergy shots, and taking Claritin religiously every day, I have no issues with reactive airways, even in cold, dry weather. Make sure you deal with the environmental issues (allergies to mold, dust, pollen, pets, and dry, cold air) and see if that makes a difference. A lot of asthma is related to allergies.