Asthma is a respiratory-related condition that causes inflammation of the airways, which makes the muscles surrounding them tighten and the lining of the air passages swell.
This causes attacks of wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and coughing. In most cases patients who suffer from an asthma-related condition have long-term shortness of breath with episodes of increased shortness of breath.
Asthma attacks can last minutes to days and can become dangerous if the airflow becomes severely restricted. In sensitive individuals, asthma symptoms can be triggered by breathing in allergy-causing substances, known as allergens or triggers.
Exercise is good for your asthma. In fact, many world-class athletes have asthma, including runners Paula Radcliffe and Jo Pavey, cyclists Laura Trott and Sir Bradley Wiggins, and footballers David Beckham and Paul Scholes.
Appropriate exercise programmes can provide valuable benefits to people with asthma, reducing the severity of attacks or preventing them entirely.
People with asthma who engage in appropriate exercise programmes have better cardiovascular fitness and an overall improved quality of life. Exercise can also enhance your lung function, so you have more stamina and get less breathlessness. It boosts your immune system so your asthma is less likely to be triggered by coughs and colds.
Let's look at a few guidelines for exercising with asthma.
According to the UK’s NHS guidelines, adults need to do 150 minutes of exercise a week. You might find it easier to think of this as 30 minutes a day for five days. You don’t need to do 30 minutes all in one go — if you want, you could break it down into blocks of ten minutes.
As long as your asthma is well managed there’s nothing to stop you having a go at pretty much any type of exercise. If your asthma is under control and you’re feeling fit and well, there’s no reason to limit your choice of exercise.
But if your asthma is not so good at the moment, you’re new to exercise or haven’t done any for a while, you might find that moderate intensity aerobic activities suit you better.
Think safe when exercising: For safety reasons and as a psychological boost, keep your inhaler close at hand during your workout. This is particularly important at the start of your programme when your body is gearing up to the new challenge of exercise.
WALKING
The best exercise for severe asthmatic conditions is walking.
A recent study found that adults who walked three times a week for 12 weeks actually improved asthma control and fitness levels without provoking an attack. They walked half an hour at a time with five minutes of warm up and five minutes of cool-down.
A moderate-to-brisk walk is the best way to describe this level of activity.
YOGA
Yoga is great for people with asthma.
The magic ingredient in this type of exercise is breathing control as breathing exercises can activate more areas of the lung.
One study found that people who practised hatha yoga two and a half hours a week for ten weeks were able to cut down on their asthma medication.
The same benefit would probably result from t’ai chi, a martial art that also emphasises breathing and is known for increasing a practitioner’s longevity.
SWIMMING
The ideal sport for asthmatics is swimming because you’re breathing in air that is highly humidified and often warm.
Besides, staying in a horizontal position will loosen mucus accumulated at the bottom of your lungs.
DIETARY ADVICE
Get your fix of vitamin B6: Foods rich in vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) such as tuna, dried fruit and nuts should be a vital part of an anti-asthma diet.
Studies have found pyridoxine dramatically reduces the intensity and frequency of attacks. It plays a critical role in the production of adenosine triphosphate and cyclic adenosine monophosphate, molecules that have been shown to help relax bronchial smooth muscle tissue.
Load on foods containing vitamins C and E: Asthma patients should eat plenty of foods rich in vitamin C, including oranges, watermelons and tomatoes.
With strong antioxidant properties, vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is effective at neutralising free radicals, unstable molecules that can cause contraction of the airway smooth muscle.
Studies also show high levels of vitamin C to reduce histamine release in the body and make histamine break down faster. Histamine, a chemical produced by the body, can increase inflammation in asthmatics and cause constriction of smooth muscles.
Vitamin E, found in vegetables such as corn and broccoli, is another antioxidant that can help alleviate asthma symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing.
Vitamin C and vitamin E protect each other and are more effective consumed together.
Eat foods rich in magnesium and potassium: Studies show that magnesium and potassium intake may be associated with a decreased risk of asthma.
Found in the likes of spinach and soy beans, magnesium has also been linked to better lung function and reduced wheezing in people with asthma.
Intravenous magnesium is sometimes used for treating acute asthma attacks in hospitals. Foods containing potassium include bananas and avocados.
RESISTANCE TRAINING
Training with weights, or resistance training, naturally lends itself to a stop-start type workout and hence is ideally suited to asthmatics. Focus on lighter weights and higher repetitions, taking as much recovery time between sets as you feel you need. One or two weekly sessions can significantly improve your strength.
1. Barbell squat
Begin with the barbell supported on top of your trapezoid muscles. The chest should be upright with your head facing forward.
Adopt a hip-width stance with the feet turned outwards as needed. Descend by flexing the knees, refraining from moving the hips back as much as possible. This requires the knees to travel forward. Ensure that they stay aligned with the feet.
The goal is to keep the torso as upright as possible. Continue all the way down, keeping the weight on the front of your heel.
2. Barbell walking lunge
Begin by standing with your feet shoulder width apart and a barbell across your upper back.
Step forward with one leg, flexing the knees to drop your hips.
Descend until your rear knee nearly touches the ground. Your posture should remain upright and the front knee should stay above your front foot.
Drive through the heel of your lead foot and extend both knees to raise yourself back up.
Step forward with your rear foot, repeating the lunge on the opposite leg.
3. Military press
Start by placing a barbell that is about chest high on a squat rack. Once you have selected the weights, grab the barbell using a pronated (palms facing forward) grip.
Make sure to grip the bar wider than shoulder width apart from each other.
Slightly bend the knees and place the barbell on your collarbone.
Lift the barbell up keeping it lying on your chest. Take a step back and position your feet shoulder width apart from each other.
Once you pick up the barbell with the correct grip length, lift the bar up over your head by locking your arms.
Hold at about shoulder level and slightly in front of your head. This is your starting position. Lower the bar down to the collarbone slowly as you inhale. Lift the bar back up to the starting position as you exhale. Continue for the recommended amount of repetitions.
- The writer is Fitness Manager at Fitness First BurJuman
