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Best and worst activities for asthma

Best and worst activities for asthma
While breathing workouts are recommended for asthma patients along with some other exercises, there some activities that you need to avoid. ©Shutterstock

Exercising and staying active can improve your lung function, which is essential for asthma patients. However, certain activities can trigger an asthma flare-up as well. Here's what you should do and what you shouldn't.

Written by Editorial Team |Updated : May 9, 2019 1:00 PM IST

Asthma is a lung disorder with a high morbidity rate globally. As per the estimates of World Health Organization, more than 180,000 people die due to this condition all over the world. Asthma is a non-communicable disease characterised by breathing difficulty. It occurs when your airways swell up and constrict. The swollen airways produce mucus in large amounts and obstruct the process of inhalation and exhalation. Pulmonologists haven't yet been able to find the causes behind asthma but certain factors have been found to increase your risk of this disease. They include genetic predisposition, obesity, smoking, exposure to toxic elements, etc. During an asthma attack you will experience tightness of chest, wheezing and coughing. The triggers behind an asthma flare-up include dust mites, pollens, environmental pollution and stress among others. Even your workouts may be the culprit behind a sudden episode of asthma attack. While breathing workouts are recommended for asthma patients along with some other exercises, there some activities that you need to avoid. If you are on a workout regimen, you need to be extra cautious about your medications. Don't skip or forget them, or else you will be more at risk of an asthma attack during your workout sessions. Here's what you can do and what you can't.

GO FOR THESE ACTIVITIES

There are certain activities that enhance your lung capacity. If you are an asthma patient you opt for these activities. However, you need to consult your doctor.

Walking

[caption id="attachment_665586" align="alignnone" width="655"]walking Walking can increase your fitness levels as well as enhance your capacity to control asthma control. Shutterstock[/caption]

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Walking is one of the easiest and simple exercises an asthmatic patient can do without worrying about asthma attack. In a study published in the journal Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology, the researchers revealed that regular moderate intensity aerobics like walking can increase your fitness levels as well as enhance your capacity to control asthma control. In this study, participants who walked for 12 weeks, thrice every week, managed to improve their fitness levels without aggravating an asthma attack. Experts in the field recommend that you can also perform light warm-up exercises. These will elevate your tolerance levels.

Yoga

[caption id="attachment_665588" align="alignnone" width="655"]yoga-for-asthma-patient Practising yoga for two and a half hours per week for 10 weeks can help you manage your asthma. Shutterstock[/caption]

If regular workouts are not your cup of tea, you can opt for yoga poses, especially the ones that can help you improve your breathing capacity. Several studies suggest that practising yoga for two and a half hours per week for 10 weeks can help you manage your condition in a better way and curb your medications for this condition as well. Some of the best yoga poses for asthma patients include Savasana, Sukasana, Forward Bend, Butterfly Pose among others. These poses will help you enhance your breathing and significantly improve your lung function. Also, try alternate nostril breathing, chest breathing, belly breathing, bee breathing.

Cycling

[caption id="attachment_665589" align="alignnone" width="655"]Cycling-to-work Cycling at a relaxed pace can yield similar results as walking for asthmatic patients. Shutterstock[/caption]

This is an activity that will boost your lung functions for sure. However, you need to peddle at a moderate pace if you are asthmatic. In a study published in the European Respiratory journal, the researchers mentioned that cycling at a relaxed pace showed similar results as walking. Participants who peddled at a brisk pace noted significantly high risk of an asthma attack. This happens because when you ride a bicycle too fast, the quick breath-in-and-out process can soak all the oxygen out from your airways leading to an asthma attack.

Baseball

[caption id="attachment_665590" align="alignnone" width="655"]baseball Baseball gives you plenty of time to catch your breath and that is why it is one of the safest sports for asthmatic people. Shutterstock[/caption]

Although baseball is not that popular in India, it is a much loved sport in other parts of the world. Unlike football or hockey where you are constantly running on the field, baseball gives you plenty of time to catch your breath. It is one of the safest sports for asthmatic people. According to various studies, most of the asthmatic children can play this sport without using an inhaler to relax their muscles.

AVOID THESE ACTIVITIES

Any activity that can surge your heartrate or keep it high for around 5 to 6 minutes can worsen your condition, if you are an asthmatic patient. Such activities can lead to shortness of breath along with other symptoms of asthma. This is how it happens. When we breathe normally, our nasal passage warms and moistens the air we inhale. But while performing a high intensity or high speed activity, we inhale through our mouth. This air is cold and dry. The muscle groups that surround our airways are sensitive to these changes. They react by narrowing down the airway. So, you should avoid certain activities.

Running

[caption id="attachment_665591" align="alignnone" width="655"]Running Long-distance running can lead to an asthma flare-up. Shutterstock[/caption]

While an early morning walk or an evening walk could help you improve your fitness levels and keep asthma symptoms at bay, running could do the total opposite of the same. Though there are studies which cite that short-distance running will not affect your condition, pulmonologists are of the opinion that long-distance running can lead to an asthma flare-up.

Basketball

[caption id="attachment_665592" align="alignnone" width="655"]basketball You should avoid basketball if you are diagnosed with asthma. Shutterstock[/caption]

Basketball involves too much of running and jumping. So it can trigger an asthma attack. A basketball player doesn't get enough time to catch his breath back which is why experts suggest that you should avoid this particular sport if you are diagnosed with asthma. According to a study that featured in the journal Current Sports Medicine Reports, top-level players and trained athletes who play basketball are more likely to witness a flare up in their asthma symptoms. The study noted 50 per cent surge in the risk of asthma attacks among these trained athletes.

Football

[caption id="attachment_665593" align="alignnone" width="655"]Football Football can cause shortness of breath and trigger an asthma attack. Shutterstock[/caption]

Football is one of the most popular sport around the globe but it could be the reason behind your next asthma attack if you have a history of the condition. In a football game, a player needs to run at a rapid pace for 90 minutes (along with additional injury time in some cases). This can cause shortness of breath and trigger an asthma attack.