Running With Asthema

I have been doing pretty well on my weight loss journey and one of my goals other then loosing weight and getting healthy is to be able to jog/run.. I'm trying to get my asthma under control pushing myself little by little but i still cant make it any further than 1/2 a mile without having to stop... any suggestions on controlling my breathing other then going to a doctor? they tell me to take my inhaler and walk instead of run.....
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Replies

  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
    I have been doing pretty well on my weight loss journey and one of my goals other then loosing weight and getting healthy is to be able to jog/run.. I'm trying to get my asthma under control pushing myself little by little but i still cant make it any further than 1/2 a mile without having to stop... any suggestions on controlling my breathing other then going to a doctor? they tell me to take my inhaler and walk instead of run.....

    They tell you that because it's good advice. If you can't run like you've been trying to, run slower, or do run/walk intervals (run 60 sec, walk 90, for example. The popular "C25K" training program, which you can google, starts with these types of interval workouts and it's a great plan to use.)
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
    I have been doing pretty well on my weight loss journey and one of my goals other then loosing weight and getting healthy is to be able to jog/run.. I'm trying to get my asthma under control pushing myself little by little but i still cant make it any further than 1/2 a mile without having to stop... any suggestions on controlling my breathing other then going to a doctor? they tell me to take my inhaler and walk instead of run.....

    Maybe you should ease up on the running but what do doctors know?

  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    I have been doing pretty well on my weight loss journey and one of my goals other then loosing weight and getting healthy is to be able to jog/run.. I'm trying to get my asthma under control pushing myself little by little but i still cant make it any further than 1/2 a mile without having to stop... any suggestions on controlling my breathing other then going to a doctor? they tell me to take my inhaler and walk instead of run.....

    If your doctor is suggesting you not run right now, it's probably for good reason. You could try walk/jog intervals or maybe another form of cardio like the elliptical, rower, or cycling.
  • Alassonde
    Alassonde Posts: 228 Member
    I have asthma and I just don't run. I walk and do strength training mostly, with an occasional HIIT session thrown in. One other thing I have done is walk with short spurts of running (1-2 minutes) in the middle. Walk for 4 minutes, run for 1 minute, etc. That seems to keep me from getting winded. But if doctors are telling you not to run, you should probably not run.
  • glassofroses
    glassofroses Posts: 653 Member
    I take two inhales of my inhaler before I go for a run and I stop when I need to stop. There is nothing wrong with stopping at half a mile. You have a condition and you have to respect that. Time and strengthening the lungs with non-running based cardio can help but it will be a lot slower than someone who doesn't have asthma.

    Sometimes the block can be, in part, psychological. You feel like you can't breathe, you panic, and then you stop. When you're running next time: focus on your inhale/exhale. The sound. The feeling. Your body will move if you tell it to so focusing on your breathing should reassure yourself that you are getting enough air.

    If that doesn't work you may have to consider that your doctor is right and back off for a little while. There is no point in being healthy if you're not going to be smart about it. :smile:
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    Don't screw around with asthma. Do as your doctor says, try exercise that doesn't set it off, and work on losing the weight by tacking your calories. Once you lose weight, maybe your asthma won't be triggered as easily, since your lungs won't have to work so hard.

    My brother grew up with severe asthma, and my daughter has been hospitalized twice this year for asthma exacerbation. Please take your doctor seriously.

    And don't give up hope. Just because this is the way it is right now, doesn't mean it can't improve.
  • kathy0224
    kathy0224 Posts: 43 Member
    i have asthma & I run. Before I run I take my daily inhaler (flovent) & 10 minutes before I hit the treadmill I take my rescue inhaler (albuterol). 2 meds that allow me to run are worth the feeling I get after I run- that sense of accomplishment, and knowing my heart rate & blood pressure are going down.
  • quiltlovinlisa
    quiltlovinlisa Posts: 1,710 Member
    Personally, I don't even try to run. I know that running sets off my asthma, I've found other exercises that I enjoy and can avoid an attack with. I stick with those. There are too many factors that I can't control, exercising is one thing that I can.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Do you have exercise-induced asthma?

    Are you NOT taking your inhaler with you?

    I know losing weight and getting fit resulted in me not needing asthma medications at all but I don't really run (just some HIIT on treadmill)
  • ericGold15
    ericGold15 Posts: 318 Member
    I am a physician, and I have asthma.

    TREAT the ASTHMA FIRST. Aggressively. See your doctor
    When it is well controlled then you can exercise.

    Some asthmatics are sensitive to cold air; and reflux of stomach juices is a common cause of asthma, particularly in overweight people. I personally swim and bike rather than run to avoid reflux.
  • ndsein
    ndsein Posts: 1 Member
    Have you tried using albuterol inhaler 30 mins before physical exertion/running. It may help.
  • Tomm88
    Tomm88 Posts: 733 Member
    ndsein wrote: »
    Have you tried using albuterol inhaler 30 mins before physical exertion/running. It may help.

    With all respect i think they best way to beat it is by using medicine less and less and as little as possible, making the lungs stronger, i delt with astma for years and it went away when i committed to exercise and used medicines only when it was really needed.

  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Hubby has asthma. You don't get it under control by pushing yourself. Do you take your puffer before you head out, and do you carry it with you? A half mile run is just about perfect, health-wise. We also have an engineer on MFP with a lively discussion going on where he argues that a walk over the same distance as the run expends about the same amount of energy. And he's right. If you buy in to the origin of man, you know that in the distant past we used to spend a lot of time walking. Walking is very good.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Here's an idea for a regimen. Take your inhaler before you head out. Walk for ten minutes or so, then run for so many minutes. Then walk for one minute and repeat. This is the basis of the C25K program and others. I like a run three-walk-one regimen but you can keep going to 1-and-ten or 1-and-twenty. Run in one direction until you have reached your limit, then walk home.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Tomm88 wrote: »
    ndsein wrote: »
    Have you tried using albuterol inhaler 30 mins before physical exertion/running. It may help.

    With all respect i think they best way to beat it is by using medicine less and less and as little as possible, making the lungs stronger, i delt with astma for years and it went away when i committed to exercise and used medicines only when it was really needed.

    This advice is dangerous for an asthmatic

    Take your meds as prescribed and required

    Do not stint on taking preventers and inhalers...this is how people can die from asthma ..
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    Tomm88 wrote: »
    ndsein wrote: »
    Have you tried using albuterol inhaler 30 mins before physical exertion/running. It may help.

    With all respect i think they best way to beat it is by using medicine less and less and as little as possible, making the lungs stronger, i delt with astma for years and it went away when i committed to exercise and used medicines only when it was really needed.

    This advice is dangerous for an asthmatic

    Take your meds as prescribed and required

    Do not stint on taking preventers and inhalers...this is how people can die from asthma ..

    Agreed^!!!!!!
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    For a while there hubby and I represented the top demographic profiles for trips to the emergency. Asthma for him and diabetes for me. I've spent a few nights with him sleeping in uncomfortable visitor's chairs, waiting for his oxygen to normalize. Then there's the memorable 3AM sessions with the asthma coach, teaching hubby how to take his inhalers.

    He's much more consistent about taking his puffers, and my diabetes is in remission. My scheduled doctor's visits have dropped from four times a year to one.
  • ericGold15
    ericGold15 Posts: 318 Member
    edited November 2015
    Tomm88 wrote: »
    With all respect i think they best way to beat it is by using medicine less and less and as little as possible, making the lungs stronger,
    You were lucky you did not die. It is nonsense to post that untreated asthma makes the lungs "stronger." Please do not recommend this to others.

    I have reported your original post to be deleted without delay since it is dangerous advice.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,160 Member
    @sunshinegirlx3 Welcome to MFP forums.

    While you are deciding what to do about going with the doctor's advice or not you may want to read up on what the 40 year old supplement Wobenzym N reportedly can do for asthma patients.

    I do not have asthma but and testing Wobenzym N at high rate of usage after learning about it in a cancer protocol on Truth About Cancer. I learned a couple weeks ago when I had a lipid panel ran 90 days after the prior blood work was that my HDL had increased by 50%, my triglycerides had improved by dropping 50% and that my cholesterol improved by dropping 25% over the last 90 days. There is no way I can prove or disprove at the Wobenzym usage was a factor. My main reason I am testing Wobenzym is to see if I want to add it to my arthritis pain management protocol.

    Below is one link that covers different health conditions and systemic enzyme usage so you can see what you think. Will systemic enzymes help you breath better I do not know. I do know running is not without health risks of all.

    This supplement is used worldwide but more in Europe. Not sure what you think about German health care skills and practices but Wobenzym has been produced in Germany for 40+ years. It is now also bottled in Canada and the USA I have read.

    easyhealthoptions.com/systemic-proteolytic-enzymes/

    Best of success in breathing easier.
  • debubbie
    debubbie Posts: 767 Member
    The doctor thinks I have exercise induced asthma that is brought on by running in the cold. I take two puffs off of my inhaler about 20 minutes before I go running. I have a slow pace and when I feel like it is a struggle I walk for a few minutes and start a slow jog again. I used this method to complete a five mile race today. Definitely listen to your doctor and if you want to become a runner, jog slowly after using your inhaler and listen to your body.