Aerobics, or any activity that raises your heart rate, can also make you feel breathless or short of breath. As you exert your body, you require more oxygen so your heart can pump that oxygen to your functioning muscles. That means taking in more oxygen, which can be a serious problem if you already suffer from breathing and lung issues. Talk to your doctor about your breathlessness, and look for ways to prevent being out of breath when you attempt aerobic activity.
Significance
When you attempt to exercise because you feel tired and out of breath, you'll likely stop, which is the right thing to do. Unfortunately, it may discourage you from trying to exercise more, which leads to inactivity. As you stay inactive, your cardiovascular system becomes weaker, and it will be less likely to pump adequate oxygen to your muscles when needed. You may find that you begin to feel out of breath when attempting regular activities, like walking up stairs or grocery shopping.
Symptoms
When you feel out of breath while doing aerobics, you may feel like you can't get enough air in your lungs to sustain your body. This feeling may accompanied by fatigue, muscle weakness, dizziness and even chest pains.
Causes
The shortness of breath you feel while doing aerobics has a variety of causes. The first is simple inactivity. When you haven't engaged your body in cardiovascular activity for a while, your body takes in less oxygen overall to sustain your sedentary lifestyle. When you begin to exercise, your respiratory system is ill-equipped to supply your heart, lungs, blood and muscles with the oxygen that it needs. Breathlessness can also be caused by medical conditions, including lung diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary hypertension and even blood clots, warns MedlinePlus.
Prevention
One of the best ways to prevent shortness of breath while exercising is to continually condition your lungs and respiratory to take in sufficient oxygen. This means beginning with low-impact aerobic exercise, like swimming or walking. If you are exercising with such intensity that you can't talk, slow down. As your breathing improves, you can then add running, dancing and indoor cycling to keep your cardiovascular system functioning well for better endurance overall.
Treatment
If your shortness of breath doesn't improve with aerobic condition, see your doctor. He may refer you to a respiratory therapist who can diagnose your problem in case of a medical issue. You may be offered an asthma inhaler or even an oxygen tank if your symptoms are severe enough. You can still continue to exercise, but you'll probably enjoy lower impact activities, notes the American College of Sports Medicine.
