Five Exercises for Asthma Patients

Posted by everythinghealth on May 23rd, 2019

Asthma is a respiratory ailment which hampers your breathing and causes continuous sneezing, whooping, and coughing. Asthma has no cure. Attacks could trigger anywhere and anytime.

One of the common triggers for asthma is exercise. Many asthma patients find it difficult to breathe during fast-paced workouts. While exercise is a trigger, it is also important for asthma patients to concentrate on their fitness.

Doctors recommend exercising in a monitored environment and under proper guidance. Regular exercise helps to improve the functioning of the lungs, reduces breathing difficulties, and enhances life.

Patients suffering from asthma should consult their doctor and find exercises which do not flare the Sign and Symptoms of Asthma.

Generally, people breathe through their nose during which the air is filtered before it goes into the lungs. While exercising, people breathe through their mouths. The air is not filtered, and chances of getting affected to asthma triggers increase. People with asthma have a problem with rigorous exercising as it may flare their Asthma Attack Symptoms.

Everything Health says, however, as much as exercises could increase the risk of asthma attacks, certain physical activities help in avoiding asthma attacks. Exercises like Yoga, Swimming, Walking, and Light Gym helps asthma patients to stay fit.

Exercises for Asthma

1. Swimming – One of the best exercises for asthma patients is swimming. It helps in strengthening muscles that help in breathing. It also improves lung functioning and heart rate without causing any side effects on asthma patients.

 Regular swimming could be one of the best forms of exercise for asthma patients. It helps especially kids to breathe in warm, moist air to keep away from asthma triggers.

2. Yoga – Yoga for asthma patients is an effective form of exercise. It has improved the health of patients suffering from mild to moderate asthma. There are various ‘asanas’ in Yoga, which help in improving breathing and relaxing your muscles.

Pranayam, Shavasana, Sukhasana are some yoga positions which help in improving breathing and strengthening lung muscles. Pranayam is a breathing technique which helps you to control your breathing and handle symptoms like sneezing, whooping and coughing.

3. Hiking – Short hikes and treks are a good form of exercise for asthma patients. With hiking, your lung muscles strengthen, and your control over breathing improves. You should start hiking short distances before taking on a long trek or trail.

Make sure you are not hiking in colder areas. The cold and dry air triggers asthma attacks. Hiking is also a good exercise for asthma patients who are older.

4. Walking – Walking for 2 to 5-kilometer every day keeps many diseases away. If you are suffering from severe asthma and cannot do a lot of physical activities, walking is the best exercise. It does not hamper your breathing in any way, and you can set your own pace according to your fitness level. Walking combined with a few breathing exercises is good for Health care.

5. Biking – Biking is another form of exercise whose pace could be controlled. You could ride a cycle early in the morning for 2-3 kilometres at least. Biking is one of the comfort exercises wherein you do not do more than your stamina. It has proven to regulate breathing and strengthening lung muscles.

Useful tips for asthma patients

Before starting any exercise for asthma, you should consult your doctor. A doctor will help you manage your asthma and exercise regimen. Whenever you start exercising, make sure you warm up first. During your warm up, breathe from your nose.

Avoid breathing from your mouth to trigger an allergy. If the weather is cold, try to cover your face with a mask or a scarf. Cold air is also a trigger of asthma attacks.

Avoid going outdoors if the particulate matter count is high, which is usually observed during cold months. Also, avoid exercising when you are sick. After exercising, include yoga positions or breathing exercises to calm down.

Asthma is a disease with no cure. But that should not limit your daily routine. Exercising moderately is the key to control your breathing and staying fit. From all the exercises mentioned above, yoga for asthma is the best for patients suffering from moderate to severe asthma.

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