Today in the world there are about 300 million patients with bronchial asthma, in Russia, according to statistics, this number reaches 5.9 million. The number of patients is growing every year.
Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways. Asthma attacks can appear at any time: during overexertion, physical exertion, in stressful situations. Therefore, people who have been diagnosed with this need to learn about the compatibility of asthma and sports before any physical activity.
Is sports acceptable for asthma?
Any, even the smallest load can lead to the development of an attack. When an asthmatic person performs sports exercises, his breathing becomes more frequent, which contributes to the rapid cooling of the airways and drying of the mucous membrane. This situation leads to the occurrence of spasms in the bronchi. However, playing sports with bronchial asthma is not prohibited. On the contrary, many experts recommend training the body by resorting to sports training. If classes are carried out regularly, it will strengthen the muscles of the respiratory system, which will ease the patient’s symptoms in case of complications. In order for the gym not to harm health, an asthma patient must follow certain rules. Physical activity is possible only after consulting a doctor and after a complete examination of the patient. Appropriate medication should be taken before exercise. This will help the patient avoid bronchospasm .
The duration of the workout increases gradually. If the patient feels chest pains, a rising cough, shortness of breath and other negative symptoms of asthma, he should urgently end the exercise. The next lesson in terms of duration and intensity is carried out according to the same standards as the previous one.
During the exercise period, you should control the correct and even breathing. Athletes with asthma should always have an inhaler on hand. To avoid bronchospasm, you must stop exercising in stuffy and dusty gyms. The heart rate during training should not exceed 150 beats per minute.
Running for asthma
When running, a person often breathes through his mouth. This means that the air entering the lungs is not purified and warmed, as is the case with nasal breathing. Therefore, an asthmatic runner needs to plan in advance the route and timing of the race. It is recommended that patients run away from highways. If the route passes near the highway, you should refrain from running during peak hours, when there are a lot of cars on the street and the atmosphere is as polluted as possible.
When a patient suffers from allergic asthma, he needs to avoid air with high levels of allergens. In the spring, during the period of active flowering, doctors recommend giving up running on the street and going to classes in the gym.
Cold temperatures can trigger asthmatic symptoms. To avoid discomfort, cover your mouth with a buff or bandana .
Despite some difficulties and limitations, running has a beneficial effect on the entire body:
- Reduces weight, reduces the risk of complications.
- Strengthens the protective functions of the body.
- Improves lung function.
Swimming for asthma
Swimming is an effective method for strengthening the muscles of the respiratory system. In addition, the procedure improves immunity and fights against nervousness and stress.
When asthma is diagnosed in a child, then often, in addition to treatment with medications, doctors prescribe swimming. The indisputable advantage of swimming is the fact that absolutely the entire respiratory system is involved in the process. This has a beneficial effect on the correct development of the lungs, increasing their capacity and normalizing the heart rate. During swimming, people completely normalize their respiratory regime. With regular swimming, the risk of asthma symptoms is minimized.
Yoga
The list of psychosomatic diseases compiled by the World Health Organization also includes bronchial asthma. The doctors were able to identify a direct relationship between the development of asthma and the patient’s psycho-emotional background. Therefore, yoga therapy has established itself as an effective non-drug treatment for asthma. The advantage of yoga practice is that remission is maintained by restoring the body’s compensatory capabilities.
Among the main elements of yoga, the Sukshma-Vyayama technique stands out . When performing it, the shoulder girdle is involved. Muscle tension is thereby relieved and muscle tone is evenly distributed, which optimizes the functioning of the respiratory muscles.
It is recommended to resort to nasal gymnastics, which consists of active inhalation and passive exhalation. 1 breath is performed per second. Forced breathing stimulates the bronchi. This is due to the creation of fluctuations in airway pressure. It is necessary to start with light exercise, since anything can provoke an asthmatic attack, including a sharp breath.
In asthmatics there is a transition of breathing to the upper chest, which disrupts the natural pulmonary ratio of ventilation and blood supply to the organ. When you exhale, the diaphragm cannot fully relax, remaining thickened. The goal of yoga therapy is to restore the functioning of the diaphragm. This will allow the gas exchange to be brought to the optimum ratio.
To remove mucus from the bronchi, yoga practices include vibrational techniques. In yoga, attention should also be paid to muscle relaxation practices. This will help improve psychophysiological tone and remove nervousness before asthmatic attacks of suffocation.
Other types
For asthmatics, physical activity associated with exercise, which leads to strengthening the diaphragm and the shoulder girdle, is beneficial. Patients can practice sailing, walking, cycling, golf, or volleyball. Water aerobics , canoeing, martial arts (karate, taekwondo) and tennis are also considered beneficial activities. Gym workouts are encouraged.
Basketball and football should be played with caution. For some patients, they are not suitable due to increased activity.
Prohibited sports
According to pulmonologists, the importance of physical activity for asthmatics is invaluable. Classes can not only normalize the patient’s well-being, but also reduce the amount of medications taken. However, some sports are contraindicated in case of illness.
Heavy sports and physical activity requiring excessive efforts are prohibited. Running for long distances with bronchial asthma, lifting weights and barbells, doing gymnastics on a horizontal bar or rings is contraindicated.
In addition, asthmatics should avoid winter sports (hockey, skiing, figure skating). Cold air often causes bronchial spasms and narrowing of the bronchi. Physical activity associated with changing the breathing pattern and holding it (diving) is prohibited.
