|
Exercise
One of the goals of asthma therapy is to maintain a normal, healthy lifestyle, which includes physical activity. Having asthma should not be used as an excuse to avoid exercise. Taking medications as prescribed by your doctor, avoiding triggers, and monitoring your symptoms and lung function will help you achieve this goal. If your symptoms prevent you from participating fully in physical activities, talk to your physician. A small change in your action plan may solve the problem.
Health experts generally agree that exercise should be performed four to five times per week for at least 30 minutes. Activities that involve short, intermittent periods of exertion such as volleyball, gymnastics, baseball, and wrestling generally are well tolerated by asthmatics. Swimming and biking may also be good choices. Activities that involve long periods of exertion (soccer, distance running, basketball, and field hockey, for example) and cold-weather sports are more likely to be problematic. However, many people with asthma are able to fully participate in these activities as well.
Here are some steps you can take to control symptoms:
- Inhaled medications taken prior to exercise can control or prevent symptoms. The preferred medications are the short-acting, beta 2-agonist inhalers (albuterol, pirbuterol, levalbuterol), which can prevent the airways from spasming when taken 15 to 20 minutes before exercise. These medications can control EIA for four to six hours. Other medications that may be useful are the long-acting bronchodilators (salmeterol, formoterol), which provide 12-hour control. When these medications are taken before work or school, EIA symptoms may be avoided throughout the day. But it is still important to have a short-acting bronchodilator available in case symptoms occur during a workout. If these measures fail, your physician may advise daily therapy to control the underlying inflammatory process that results in airways sensitive to drier and colder air.
- Perform warm-up exercises as you begin a workout, and then cool down after exercise.
- If the weather is cold, exercise indoors or wear a mask or scarf over your nose and mouth.
- If you have allergies, avoid exercising outdoors when pollen counts are high. Be aware of days with high air-pollution levels as well.
- Restrict exercise only when you have a viral infection or other asthma flare-up.
- Exercise at a level that is appropriate for you.
|
