Fit in fitness with these four activities
Exercise may help you control your asthma better. According to research, people with the highest fitness levels were almost two and a half times better at controlling asthma symptoms than those who didn’t exercise. That’s a good reason to ease into a routine, if you’re not active already.
Start by talking to your doctor about a safe workout routine. He may have you take a stress test to see how you respond to exercise. Afterward, he may instruct you to use your fast-acting inhaler 10 to 15 minutes before working out, or recommend other precautions to take before, during, or afterward.
Once you are cleared for exercise, find activities that you enjoy and are easy for you to do. Consider one of these activities that tend to be better for people with asthma.
- Walking. Research found that people with asthma who walked three times a week for 12 weeks improved their symptoms.
- Yoga. The activity’s breathing exercises may help activate more of the lungs.
- Baseball and softball. The stop-and-start nature of these sports gives participants time to recover from the spurts of activity.
- Golf. Walking from tee to tee gives you the benefits of aerobic exercise, while swinging the club trains your midsection muscles.
