People w/ Real bad Asthma

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suzumichan
suzumichan Posts: 127
in Health and Weight Loss
I was wondering how you help prevent asthma attacks? I was working out yesterday and did about 15 mins of 30 day shred and had to stop because I was having a hard time breathing. Once I got breathing under control I do another 15 then stop and just repeat myself until I finished. Even tho I was breathing in through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. I use my inhaler before working out which makes it less bad but I cant even finish Level 1 in 30 day shred in a day. AM I suppose to break it down? I also have water that I drink while doing so.

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  • unsuspectingfish
    unsuspectingfish Posts: 1,176 Member
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    I would definitely break it down into smaller bits. My asthma isn't that bad, anymore, but it was once, so I know that trying to push through it is a BAD idea. There's a good chance, too, that, as you get more fit, you'll be able to work out for longer periods without it acting up.
  • goldnanoparticle
    goldnanoparticle Posts: 37 Member
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    Even though my sports-induced asthma is not super bad, I have been in the same situation before.

    First I would recommend talking to your doctor about it. The first emergency/exercise inhaler mine prescribed me did absolutely nothing for me when I was trying to workout. I now use one called Combivent - it helps a lot more!

    One of my friends suggest that between the two inhales of using an inhaler, wait like five to ten minutes. I have never noticed a huge difference by waiting, but she swears by it.

    Finally, depending on how severe your asthma is, it should get better as you get healthier - that is, you'll be able to go longer and/or harder on each workout.
  • adrian_indy
    adrian_indy Posts: 1,444 Member
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    Asthma attacks and treatment can vary from person to person, but look into going to the doctor to get a preventative inhaler like advair that you take in the mornings and evenings.

    They also say that you can take a puff of your rescue inhaler 20-30 minutes prior to exercise to open up your airways, although I personally don't do this because constant use of the rescue inhaler, besides any other side effects, can lessen the effects of the inhaler since you have built up a resistance to it.

    Also, asthma systems should improve as the weight drops, but also be on the look out for confusing being out of breath from being out of shape/overweight and asthma. I had a problem with this where I wasn't sure if I was huffing and puffing from asthma or from just being out of shape. There is a difference..

    Last, at least with me, most of my asthma problems seem to be related to allergies. I'll take it you don't smoke, if you do, quit. Not preaching, I used to smoke, but the year before I quit smoking, smoking, allergies, and a resistance to my rescue inhaler landed me in the ER 5 times in one year, It took 3 full breathing treatments to bring me out of the attack. But back to the allergies, make sure they are under control. If not, ask a doc about some sort of allergy pill like a singular or something.
  • MrsWibbly
    MrsWibbly Posts: 415 Member
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    In my twenties my asthma was triggered by exercise. The irony is that being fiiter means that now it isn't!!

    To start with my asthma nurse recommended that I should take one puff of my inhaler (ventolin at the time) immediately before exercise. It took about 6 months of working out as hard as I could two or three times a week, and resting when I got breathless, to get to the point where I could join in with a whole exercise class (1 hour). Recovery time after each class went down from 30 minutes to less than 5 minutes after a year.

    Takes time but the fitter you are the easier it will be. Keep going!
  • suzumichan
    suzumichan Posts: 127
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    I used to smoke but I quit when I meet my boyfriend. I'll try talking to my doctor about the inhaler and what can be done.
    And I'll try keeping my allergies up to date. I used to take allergy medication but ended up stopping when my health care dropped me.

    - Also thank you for some words of wisdom.
    I was getting back in the mode of using asthma as a excuse to not work out. :(
  • adrian_indy
    adrian_indy Posts: 1,444 Member
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    Don't give up, being in good cardiovascular shape is doubly important for us wheezers. Take it from me, those ER trips are no fun, and the one time I had to call 911 because I was close to blacking out while standing scared the hell of me. If you can get your lungs in good shape, if you do have an asthma attack and your lung capability falls, it's not as bad since your percentages of lung function was high to begin with. But if you are out of shape with low lung capability, and on top of that have an asthma attack, welcome to my old world of thinking I was dying it was so bad.

    Keep it up and don't frustrated.
  • takemeaway10
    takemeaway10 Posts: 75
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    Hi, fellow asthmatic! When I started working out a year ago, the hard breathing somehow translated to short and difficult breaths (perhaps my throat became inflammed or restricted... eh, I don't know). I'd take Advair, let it open up my passage ways in about ten minutes, then get back on.

    A year later (now), I have no use for it. I'm practically the same weight now I was then, but I don't have those problems anymore. I'd suggest you take it slow because cardio is all about keeping a constant heart rate. Breaking it up just reduces the effectiveness. It sucks because your body has so much energy and wants to do more, but your lungs can't seem to keep up. Now, my lungs can keep up and my legs can't :)

    I also agree with adrian_indy about confusing out-of-shapeness with asthma, but I think we all know that feeling of not even being about to take a deep breath (or, that deep breath doesn't seem as effective as it should.
  • suzumichan
    suzumichan Posts: 127
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    Thank you everyone for your words. Im going to keep on pushing I've been able to walk about 1 mile (Which is a lot to me since I could bearly do half a mile on flat land) Tomorrow or tonight Im going to push myself to walk 1 1/2 in a park with hills. I seem to be able to breath better in the park =/

    I may have confused asthma with out of weight but I know that I do have asthma and had it since 10 yrs old.
    Mostly been able to live without a inhaler but since getting up in the 200's I have been getting out of
    breath a lot faster so I hope when I lose the weight I can be better with breathing and things.
  • takemeaway10
    takemeaway10 Posts: 75
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    Thank you everyone for your words. Im going to keep on pushing I've been able to walk about 1 mile (Which is a lot to me since I could bearly do half a mile on flat land) Tomorrow or tonight Im going to push myself to walk 1 1/2 in a park with hills. I seem to be able to breath better in the park =/

    I may have confused asthma with out of weight but I know that I do have asthma and had it since 10 yrs old.
    Mostly been able to live without a inhaler but since getting up in the 200's I have been getting out of
    breath a lot faster so I hope when I lose the weight I can be better with breathing and things.

    Even before you lose the weight, your lungs should become more efficient. Have you ever considered interval training?
  • skinnybearlyndsay
    skinnybearlyndsay Posts: 798 Member
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    I've been having the same problems. I was originally diagnosed with asthma at 5, but then it disappeared. It came back when I was 10-11 and it's been omnipresent ever since. But up until this past week, I haven't really had any problems. I have only had to use my rescue inhaler maybe twice a year. I have used it twice in the past three days now. It seems to be a delayed reaction, though. I worked out really hard Saturday morning, then had the attack Monday evening. I just had another one. :( I'm hoping that if I start taking my inhaler (Ventolin) before I work out in the mornings it will help.
  • zukekitty
    zukekitty Posts: 185
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    I find keeping an eye on my heart rate keeps me where I need to be not to trigger an ashma attack. If I keep it no higher than 140-145, with a few occassional slow downs to 130 I can get through a 30 minute elliptical session. My goal is to keep myself breathing well enough that I don't have to stop. I have been working on it for 2 years. I also will use my rescue inhaler right before exercising. Sometimes helps, sometimes doesn't. I was a smoker for most of 30 years, about 3 years quit for good now. (the secret I finally got through my think skull is I can't have just one). I just keep hoping my lungs get stronger. (fingers crossed)

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