Can I Live an Active Life if I Have Asthma?
It is absolutely possible to live an active life if you have asthma. In fact, it is recommended for patients with asthma to seek an active life and continue whatever daily routines they would normally carry out even with their lung condition.
Importance of exercise
Exercise is a very important part of maintaining good respiratory health. Choose an activity, or activities, that you enjoy as this can help motivate you, and aim for at least 30 minutes of moderately intense physical activity every day or most days. Moderately intense physical activity means any activity that makes you breathe noticeably faster and deeper than usual, but does not make you puff and pant. Asthma symptoms should not stop you from participating in sports or physical activity, whether just for fun or more competitively. Many Olympic athletes have asthma. Consider getting involved in structured exercise training, as people with asthma who participate in this sort of training may feel better.
Tips for exercising with asthma
There are certain things you can do when physically active or exercising such as trying to get in the best shape for your body, exercising in places that are warmer or contain more moisture in the air. Avoid dry, cold air if possible as this is harsh on the lungs, especially when breathing heavily. Try breathing through your nose as opposed to your mouth when exercising, because it makes the air warmer and more moist when it finally hits your lungs. Warm-up and cool-down routines before physical activity or a workout also benefit you, because they allow the lungs to ease in and out of activities more easily, rather than your lungs being abruptly introduced to it.
Track your experience
In order to stay aware of the status of your lungs and breathing habits, consistently record your asthma symptoms as a way to track how well your asthma is being controlled. Also, your doctor may advise you to use a peak flow meter to measure and take note of how well your lungs are working. These steps will help you keep track of how well you're controlling your asthma over time. This will help you spot problems early and prevent or relieve asthma attacks. If you want to make sure that you are doing enough physical activity or think you may be overworking, ask yourself these few questions:
- “Have you used your inhaler more than twice a week?”
- “Have you missed school or work due to asthma attacks?”
- “Have you been purposefully limiting your physical activity because you feel strain on your lungs?”
If you answered yes to these questions, your asthma may not be as controlled as it should be, and you should continue to seek health plans or guidance from your physician that will aid to increase your ability to maintain your asthma and still engage in physical activity. Physicians always want to ensure that people don’t feel hampered by their asthma and become more confident in the way that they’re treating asthma in order to lead a very healthy life. Breathing exercises, dietary control, supplements, proper use of medications and the environment that you’re living in will all help you feel more confident so you can live a healthy, active life.
