Doctors cannot give a definite answer whether bronchial asthma and professional sports are compatible. Strong physical activity can cause an attack and bronchospasm .
But at the same time, light training is necessary to strengthen the respiratory muscles, maintain immunity, which makes it possible to alleviate the course of the disease. Athletes with asthma need to dose and monitor their activities to benefit the body. Visiting workouts is allowed only in a state of remission.
Lifestyle features for asthma
Bronchial asthma is a chronic disease with periodic attacks of suffocation due to bronchospasm . Patients are forced to carry an inhaler with them and use it when they feel unwell, if this is not done, asphyxia may occur. Various allergens provoke difficulty in breathing.
There are certain limitations in the life of an asthmatic person . One of them is physical activity in bronchial asthma. Many sports are strictly prohibited for these people. At the same time, doctors are sure that normalized physical activity is required for asthmatics to facilitate the course of pathology.
Bronchial asthma and sports
Patients are interested in the question of whether it is possible to play sports for people diagnosed with bronchial asthma. In the past, doctors explicitly prohibited patients from exercising. This is due to the fact that significant physical activity and physical education with bronchial asthma can cause attacks. Indeed, with intense exercise, breathing becomes more frequent, the mucous membranes of the lower respiratory tract dry out and cool, this provokes bronchospasm .
Depending on the course of the disease and individual characteristics, the ailment can manifest itself as choking, coughing, shortness of breath, chest pains. Sometimes the patient’s seizure begins a short time after exercise. But at the same time, the absence of stress impairs blood circulation in the lungs, impairs immunity, and the patient becomes vulnerable to any inflammatory process.
Nowadays you will not surprise anyone with asthmatics in sports, and asthma is no longer a strict contraindication for physical activity. On the contrary, almost all doctors advise from childhood to accustom patients to classes, but only after the permission of the pulmonologist and the attending doctor.
Asthma and sports are compatible things, but with the right approach to stress. Patients are advised to exercise for:
- improving metabolic processes;
- restoration of immunity;
- eliminating excess calories;
- oxygen supply to tissues;
- suppression of negative thoughts, depression;
- supporting the general tone of the body;
- increasing resistance to the influence of bad ecology;
- development of the respiratory system;
- increasing the body’s resistance to chronic pathologies.
In order for muscle training to be beneficial, you should correctly compose a set of exercises, monitor your condition under loads and, in case of the slightest discomfort, stop exercising.
What kind of sport is useful for bronchial asthma
Severe asthma requires minimal physical activity. Simple gymnastic exercises and breathing procedures are allowed here. At the middle and light stage, the choice of the type of sports training expands, but preference should be given to exercises that strengthen the muscles, especially the diaphragm and the shoulder girdle. The following sports are recommended for asthmatics:
- Athletics;
- tennis;
- race walking;
- ballroom dancing;
- fitness;
- swimming lessons;
- aerobics, water aerobics ;
- gymnastics;
- badminton;
- cycling;
- martial arts, but with care so as not to get hit in the chest;
- volleyball, football, basketball.
Features of individual sports
As for swimming with bronchial asthma, exercise strengthens the respiratory apparatus well. At the time of exercise, the load is evenly distributed between the muscles and the respiratory system. This helps to improve ventilation of the bronchial tree and lungs.
In addition, water treatments improve oxygen supply to tissues. By influencing the bronchi and vascular system, training helps to temper the body, improve resistance to infections, and strengthen the immune system. Therefore, in bronchial asthma, swimming is an integral assistant in the treatment of pathology.
Giving an answer to the question of whether it is possible to row with asthma, it is worth noting that there are no contraindications from a medical point of view. Dancing and athletics help relieve chest tightness and improve ventilation.
The best and most necessary type of exercise for an asthmatic is breathing exercises. It is used for varying degrees of ailment, even with a severe form. The complex of procedures includes both physical exercises and speech training, which allows you to normalize breathing. All lessons are conducted while sitting in a relaxed state. Active physical activity is introduced gradually, with a gradual increase in complexity. If the patient is not in the mood for a lesson, then it is better to transfer it.
The benefit of gymnastics is to train the muscles of the respiratory apparatus and create a respiratory reserve. In the process of training, areas of the lungs are involved, in which gas exchange usually does not occur. Due to this, the breathing apparatus begins to work more productively.
The choice of the sport should be under the supervision of a specialist. After passing the tests, the pulmonologist will help determine which type of training is most suitable for the patient. Given the individual characteristics of the body and the specifics of the disease, different patients may require different types of stress.
What sports are contraindicated in asthma?
Increased loads in asthma are harmful, therefore, certain types of sports are prohibited for such patients. Strength training can injure the chest and trigger an onset of the disease. Horse riding is closely related to animals in the first place, and wool is often a trigger for the development of asthma .
The answer to the question of whether it is possible to engage in winter sports for patients with asthma is ambiguous. But it is better to give up skiing, hockey, freestyle, since when cold air comes in, the bronchi narrow when inhaling, bronchospasm begins . Exercise choking in asthma can happen if you choose a sport that requires a lot of effort. This includes:
- classes on horizontal bars, rings;
- weightlifting;
- running with obstacles or long distances. Asthma and athletic running can only be combined with a light, short run;
- biathlon.
Exercises and sports requiring breath holding or associated with insufficient oxygen supply are not allowed for bronchial asthma. This category includes diving, freediving , mountaineering, spearfishing, skydiving.
Sports for bronchial asthma in children
Asthma and sports are combined in children as in adults. The normalized activity of the baby helps him to develop correctly and it is easier to endure the ailment. In children, sports activities for asthma are aimed at maintaining the respiratory system in a normal state and training the diaphragm. This helps to reduce inflammation and unpleasant symptoms.
If a child with asthma wants to play sports, then you need to select the appropriate section together with a pulmonologist. The most popular activities for children include basketball, football, volleyball, tennis, swimming. Swimmers not only develop all muscle groups, but also increase the overall resistance of the body, so this sport is quite in demand.
To provide the necessary respiratory load, you can offer the kid martial arts: wushu, judo, taekwondo. The main thing is to conduct all classes against the background of the main treatment and during the period of remission.
Improper dosage of training can have a negative effect, and instead of improving the condition, the child will have health problems. Therefore, it is very important to draw up an individual training schedule and, if the state of health deteriorates, change the approach, transferring the baby to lighter exercises.
Sports rules for patients with bronchial asthma
If you want to engage in strengthening exercises, asthmatics need to pass general tests and get advice from a pulmonologist. Sports activities and a set of home exercises for asthma are selected by the attending physician. And all trainings for bronchial asthma and changes in loads must be monitored by a trainer. In addition, for athletes there are special rules for conducting classes:
- any changes in well-being should be monitored; if a cough or other symptoms occurs, it is worth interrupting the exercise;
- you need to give up classes in an unheated, dusty, stuffy room. Asthmatics need to stay in a well-ventilated and spacious room. Also, an attack can overtake the patient when training in the fresh air during the flowering period of plants, therefore, places with a significant amount of greenery should be avoided;
- each lesson should be preceded by a warm-up warm-up. This will prepare the muscles and reduce the likelihood of bronchospasm ;
- you can train only during the period of remission. If an exacerbation occurs, during this period, classes should be canceled;
- all the requirements of the coach should be followed;
- the increase in loads is carried out gradually, with constant monitoring of the condition;
- at the time of physical activity, a patient with asthma should have an inhaler nearby. At the initial stages of an attack, it will help to quickly normalize the condition;
- when measuring the pulse at the time of training, the indicator should normally not be more than 140 beats / min, otherwise you need to take a break;
- sports for asthma in the patient should be a daily activity.
Answering the question whether it is possible to run with asthma, it should be noted that this is possible only before the onset of shortness of breath. If you find it difficult to breathe, you need to stop exercising and proceed to simpler exercises or reschedule the lesson to another day.
The first workouts should be supervised by a doctor who will check the indicators before and after training. If for several weeks the general picture of the condition worsens, then another sport is selected, in a severe case, only daily gymnastics is prescribed.
Finally
Sports and physical activity in bronchial asthma are not only allowed, but also bring significant benefits to the patient’s health. The only exception can be the presence of individual contraindications.
Experts recommend choosing a sport taking into account the patient’s condition and the characteristics of the course of the disease. Swimming, basketball, volleyball, judo are optimal. Correct rationing of the load and adherence to the doctor’s recommendations allows asthmatics to reach great heights in a sports career.