The Importance of Exercise for Asthmatics
It is important that you engage in physical activity even if you have asthma. Check with your health care provider for specific recommendations.
Exercise tones your whole body. It helps you to maintain a healthy weight. Exercise relieves stress. It improves circulation throughout your body, including your lungs. By exercising, you may be able to reduce the likelihood of contracting respiratory infections.
Self-Care Strategies for Preventing Exercise-Induced Asthma
- Keep your asthma symptoms under good control at all times.
- See your health care provider and follow a holistic wellness plan.
- Notify your health care provider of your symptoms if you experience exercise-induced asthma.
- Eat a simple, healthy diet which contains a wide array of fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Drink plenty of fluids each day.
- Limit your consumption of mucus promoting foods, such as uncultured, full fat, dairy products.
- Consider an elimination or rotation diet if your symptoms are not well controlled.
- Eat foods which contain healthy oils. Salmon, herring, mackerel, flaxseed, and hemp seed, are excellent choices.
Dietary Supplements Which May Help to Control Asthma Symptoms and Prevent Exercise-Induced Asthma
A good quality, hypoallergenic multivitamin/multimineral supplement is essential. Specific vitamins may help to reduce inflammation, support immune health, and benefit the respiratory tract.
- The B vitamins are important as they are used up quickly when a chronic health condition is present. Studies indicate that people who receive supplemental B12 have less shortness of breath when they exert themselves.
- Vitamin C is useful for reducing histamine levels. It must be taken consistently to be effective.
- Vitamin E reduces inflammation and symptoms.
- Magnesium is needed for every process within your body. The mineral offers many benefits. It is used in an emergency setting to stop asthma attacks.
Flavonoids are natural antioxidants. They help to maintain Vitamin C at healthy levels, limit the release of histamines, and relax the muscle tissues which surround the airways. Flavonoids may be obtained from quercetin, grape seed extract, green tea, gingko biloba, or pine bark extract.
I recommend the use of pine bark or grapeseed extracts as they seem to be most effective for individuals who have asthma and other lung conditions.
Carotenes are potent antioxidants which support the health of the lining s of your air passages. They prevent inflammation.
Exercises With a Low Risk of Precipitating Asthma Symptoms
You probably already know what types of exercises cause you to have asthmatic episodes. Fortunately, there are several kinds of exercises which you may enjoy that are less likely to trigger symptoms.
Symptoms are less likely to occur if the exercise is completed in short bursts of activity. Prolonged, strenuous activities may be challenging for you. Limit or avoid sports which are played outdoors in cold weather if low temperatures trigger asthmatic episodes.
Swimming is the best exercise for people who have asthma. The warm environment and moisture help to prevent tightening of the air passages. Swimming is one of the healthiest activities that anyone can enjoy. It provides a good workout for your entire body. Swimming promotes strength, tones the cardiovascular system, is relaxing, and promotes flexibility.
Depending upon the intensity of your swimming work out, you may lose weight by engaging in a swimming program. Keeping a healthy weight is important if you have asthma because being overweight makes breathing more difficult.
Yoga is another good choice for anyone. It may be done regardless of your current level of wellness. Yoga promotes relaxation. It builds strength and aids flexibility. Specific yoga exercises can help to strengthen your lungs and improve the health of your immune system.
