How Asthma Affects Fitness?

People suffering from asthma may definitely have second thoughts about doing workouts. They may think that involving themselves in physically demanding activities such as jogging or lifting weights may compromise their normal breathing and induce asthma attacks. Unfortunately, the dilemma is indeed perplexing, as they have to choose between avoiding an asthma attack and maintaining a fit body through exercise. Ultimately, many of them end up having weight problems while shunning fitness routines. Consequently, also, these have only raised the risks of asthma attacks.

Asthma directly affects a person's breathing passages and, therefore, causes much difficulty in breathing. When suffering an asthma attack, a person's breathing has a wheezing sound both when inhaling and exhaling. He experiences a sensation of tightness in the chest along with coughing and fatigue. This certainly discourages him from doing activities that may demand normal to heavy breathing.

Naturally, an asthma attack, even a mild one, would be enough reason why a person would avoid any strenuous activity. While it is true that air pollution, allergens, and other inhaling irritants can trigger it, doctors have also included physical exertion as one of the culprits. Hence, many asthmatics tend to gain weight unconsciously in their effort to keep away from any instance that could trigger an attack. Kids, especially, are glued to TV and video games instead of playing outdoors. This only resulted to a growing number of asthmatic children who are also obese.

However, medical studies have also concluded that lack of exercise can also trigger asthma. Being physically inactive, an asthmatic may just quickly suffer shortness of breath with just a few meters of jogging and brisk walking or several minutes of light exercises. With lungs that are not given the exercise it needs, any allergen, polluted air, and second-hand tobacco smoke can indeed be doubly riskier. Therefore, asthmatics also need an amount of physical exercises. Their ailment does not exempt them from physical fitness efforts.

In fact, asthmatics need to exercise in order to manage well under attacks. Since asthma has no known cure yet, the best way to face it is to prevent any instance that may trigger it. That includes having a fit body and a pair of lungs that would be able to withstand slight physical exertion and moderately cold and dry weather. Of course, the exercise routines for an asthmatic should not be as exhaustive as that of a non-asthmatic. The processes may be different and the reps may be less and gentler.

For an asthmatic, jogging outdoors when the weather is cold enough to trigger an attack is absolutely not allowed. Therefore, while he should exercise, it advised that he avoid doing it in an environment that may be harmful. Aside from exercises, he should also ensure that his food intake is healthy and non-fat. The lessened physical exercise allowed to him must be complemented with a diet that would not deliver too much fat and sugar into his body.