Lupus is a chronic disease that can cause inflammation in multiple body systems including the joints, blood cells, lungs and other organs. Shortness of breath when exercising with lupus may indicate a lack of conditioning which is common in lupus. While you should avoid overexertion with lupus, regular exercise can help improve your cardiovascular endurance and reduce some common lupus symptoms. However, you should stop exercising immediately and seek medical attention if you experience severe shortness of breath along with chest pain or other heart attack symptoms.
Significance
As lupus can cause significant fatigue and joint pain, people suffering from lupus often avoid exercise. However, inactivity with lupus can cause the body to become further deconditioned, resulting in the worsening of lupus symptoms and a reduced ability to perform everyday tasks. Regular exercise with lupus can help reduce your risk of painful joint flares, reduce your heart attack risk, help combat depression, and increase your strength, endurance and quality of life.
Types
According to Lupus International, the types of exercise that are most beneficial to people with lupus include range-of-motion, strengthening and endurance exercises. Both passive and active range-of-motion exercises help reduce stiffness and keep joints flexible. These are also useful for reducing pain during a flare. Strengthening exercises such as isometric exercises and resistance training builds muscle which helps stabilize joints. Aerobic exercise can help increase stamina and cardiovascular endurance, helping you to resist fatigue.
Guidelines
According to MayoClinic.com, people with lupus should exercise as much as their bodies allow, aiming for 30 total minutes of exercise most days of the week. As ultraviolet light can trigger a flare, stay out of direct sunlight when exercising with lupus, and during a flare, avoid the sun completely. Workouts should start slowly with stretching and range-of-motion exercises to warm up, then progress to strengthening and aerobic activities; however, you should avoid strengthening and aerobic exercises altogether during a flare and do only gentle range-of-motion exercises, according to Lupus International.
Considerations
Although you may experience some discomfort and shortness of breath when starting to exercise with lupus, regular exercise builds your stamina and makes your lungs more efficient, ultimately reducing your levels of breathlessness and fatigue when performing physical activities. Experiencing mild shortness of breath and a faster heartbeat when you first begin exercising with lupus are normal signs that your body is getting into shape. However, it is also important not to push yourself too hard and to stop exercising immediately if you feel severe shortness of breath to the point that you feel faint or dizzy. Seek immediate medical treatment if you experience severe breathlessness along with other heart attack symptoms like chest pain and nausea.
Signs of Too Much Exercise
If exercise causes joint or muscle pain lasting longer than two hours after exercising, you are exercising too much, according to Lupus International. Increased fatigue, increased joint pain and decreased range of motion are also indications of overexercising with lupus. If you are not already physically active, consult your doctor before beginning an exercise regimen to help put together a program that suits your level of physical fitness. Your doctor may suggest you begin exercising with a physical therapist or personal trainer and start with only range-of-motion exercises until you build up your strength and stamina.
