How to Manage Exercise-Induced Asthma

 

Exercise is an important ingredient to a healthy life. However, it isn’t always easy for everyone. This is especially true if you have asthma. Push yourself too hard or work out in the wrong weather and your asthma symptoms can flare up. This is called exercise-induced asthma. But by being smart about physical activity, you can actually help reduce asthma’s health impacts. This process starts with understanding why flare-ups occur and what kinds of exercise are less likely to cause them.

 

Exercise can cause problems for people with asthma because it changes how we breathe. Normally, we breathe in through our nose. This warms air before it reaches the lungs. Plus, the nose helps filter out allergens, pollutants and other symptom triggers. When we exercise, our bodies need more oxygen, so we often start breathing in through the mouth. This can bring air that’s too cold or too hot into the lungs, along with irritants that can cause symptoms to arise.

 

But fear of flare-ups shouldn’t keep you trapped on the sofa. Exercise also offers numerous benefits for people with asthma, including:

 

Choosing the right activities will help you get the biggest benefits from exercising, with less risk of health complications. Some of your best options include:

 

In general, activities that require long periods of exertion are more likely to cause problems. These include sports like field hockey and soccer, along with long-distance running. Other tips for staying healthy while keeping active include: