How to Exercise Without Making Asthma Worse

Exercise has no downside, which can benefit nearly every area of your health, physically and mentally. Unfortunately, your asthma isn’t on board with your exercise program and keeps flaring when you get active.

For the nearly 28 million Americans who have asthma, exercise-induced asthma is a concern and affects 90% of asthma patients at some point.

One of the areas of expertise here at Michigan Avenue Primary Care is asthma care.  Our team features ear, nose, and throat specialists who understand how to manage asthma at all times, including when you exercise, and here are some tips we want to share.

Why asthma flares during exercise

When it comes to exercise-induced asthma, which is also called exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, there are still more questions than answers. 

We’re not entirely sure why so many people with asthma are triggered by exercise, but it likely has to do with breathing in more deeply and frequently. This deeper and faster breathing can introduce more allergens and irritants into your airways, which can cause them to constrict.

As well, when you exercise, you often breathe through your mouth, bypassing the warming filter of your nasal passages.

Best strategies for exercising when you have asthma

If your asthma is impacting your ability to exercise, there are some steps you can take to minimize its influence, including:

Know your triggers

Asthma attacks are often triggered by something, such as pollen or cold air. So, if you know your triggers, you can exercise around them. For example, maybe skip the outdoor run on a day when pollen counts are very high and do some weight lifting indoors instead.

If it’s cold outside, you might wear something over your mouth that filters and warms the air as it heads toward your lungs.

Warm-up and slow down slowly

Another great way to manage exercise-induced asthma is to spend a little more time warming up and cooling down. Before you jump into your activity, move around and get your lungs gradually used to the air and deeper breaths. 

This same practice can be done afterward as you cool down — walk around and allow your breathing to normalize slowly.

Try other activities

You might benefit from a change if your asthma flares consistently during a particular activity. A great athletic pursuit for people with asthma is swimming, which provides your lungs and airways with a kinder environment filled with moisture.

Create a space for exercise

If being at the mercy of your environment isn’t working well, you can create your own exercise environment. Choose a room in your house, keep it at a nice warm temperature, and ensure the air is well-filtered. You can try stationary running, cycling, lifting weights, or doing yoga in this protected space.

Have the right tools on hand

It’s important that you have the right tools for heading off an asthma attack when you exercise. In most cases, this means a quick-relief albuterol inhaler, which will immediately relax your airways to allow you to breathe deeply.

To ensure you have what you need to tackle exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, it’s a good idea to come see us so we can prescribe what you need. To get that ball rolling, please contact us at our Chicago, Illinois, clinic, which is located in The Loop. You can also visit our urgent care center during operating hours, M-F, 8 am to 4 pm.