Persons with severe asthma often have a lot of trouble breathing and can have their symptoms offset by simple triggers. Yet, doctors will tell them that part of getting their illness under control is exercising regularly. The question is how do you exercise when it’s hard for you to breathe properly?
Here are some great tips you can use to make sure you get the benefits of exercise while staying healthy.
Stay On Top Of Your Medications
The medication regimen for those with severe asthma can be very strict. It typically includes daily maintenance inhalers as well as emergency drugs for when you’re having a flare-up. When you’re planning to exercise, you have to ensure that you’ve been taking your medication the way it’s been prescribed.
It’s also been shown that you’ll have a better experience if you exercise right after taking your maintenance medication.
Choose The Right Physical Activity
Just as the symptoms of severe asthma can vary, the type of exercise that works best for you can vary too. Even though the aim of being physically active is to increase your lung capacity, it doesn’t mean that you have to go for the most strenuous one first.
In fact, many persons with severe asthma have a lot of success with low-impact activities such as yoga and swimming. Walking, hiking and biking are also acceptable.
Always Warm Up And Cool Down
These steps are important regardless of how often you’ve been exercising. Warming up properly will get your body prepared for the activity while cooling down will have the opposite effect. If you’re working out on your own, make sure to research the most effective warm-up and cool-down exercises.
Don’t Exercise In The Cold
Cold temperatures can make it hard to breathe so the recommendation is that you should stick to warm areas. If you must work out in cold weather, though, make sure to cover your mouth and nose. In the event that this doesn’t work, it’s better to find another activity during the colder months.