For most people, exercise is a fun way to get active and stay healthy. But if you suffer from asthma, exercising without an inhaler or proper medication may be life-threatening. However, with a doctor's help, many asthma sufferers can be just as active as healthy individuals, and can participate in competitive sports, workouts and outdoor activities. If you have asthma, talk to your doctor before changing your exercise routine.
Symptoms
If you suffer from asthma, you may feel particularly short of breath when you exercise. According to KidsHealth, 80 percent of kids who suffer from asthma experience symptoms while exercising. When your heart rate elevates, you may take quick, cold breaths of air that have not been warmed by the mouth or nose before they enter the lungs, so they cause your airways to constrict. When your airways tighten up, breathing becomes more difficult. Exercising with asthma may cause chest pain, difficulty breathing or an asthma attack. Your doctor may recommend breathing in medicine with an inhaler before you exercise to keep the airways open while you exercise. The inhaler works immediately, but you must use it every time you exercise.
Benefits
Regular exercise strengthens your lungs and heart, which may make you less likely to have an asthma attack.
Recommended Activities
If you have been properly treated for asthma and take your prescribed medication, you can safely do any physical activity that is approved by your doctor. Some sports, like walking, baseball, hiking, gymnastics, swimming, football and jogging are less likely to bother asthma sufferers. These exercises require quick bursts of activity followed by a period of rest.
Warning
Do not continue to exercise if you are having difficulty breathing. Although you may feel tempted to push yourself until you complete the exercise, stop as soon as possible. Continuing to exert yourself while experiencing asthma symptoms may cause an asthma attack, where you will be unable to breathe even after you stop exercising. Carry your inhaler with you at all times, even if you've already taken it before exercising. Wearing a face mask while you exercise in cold outdoor weather may help the air you breathe stay warmer, making you less susceptible to asthma symptoms -- this is not a substitute for prescribed medication, however.
