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Treating Asthma with Exercise

By Greg Brookes

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For reasons that are not fully understood, the prevalence of asthma is on the rise worldwide. In the United Kingdom alone there are over three million sufferers. In general, asthma is a condition where it becomes difficult to breathe, with the severity ranging from a mildly annoying difficulty in catching one's breath to a major life threatening inability to breathe at all. These episodes of shortness of breath can be relieved with medications, but exercise and diet are considered crucial tools in asthma treatment helping to control the frequency and severity of asthmatic episodes.

What exactly happens during an asthma attack? In general an asthma attack involves three major physiological changes. One is bronchospasms, where irritants have caused contraction of the lung muscles, thereby narrowing the airways. The interior of the lungs can become inflamed and puffy in a way that further reduces air flow. This may result in the secretion of mucus which serves to only worsen the condition. When all three of these factors are in play, a full-blown asthma attack is underway. The goal then for an asthma sufferer is to decrease the likelihood of an asthma attack occurring, which can be done with the aid of asthma treatment medicine, diet and exercise.

The causes of asthma are considered to be both internal and external. The external causes can be common allergens such as pollen or dust, although psychological factors such as excessive stress can sometimes come into play. Internal asthma, which is generally more serious, usually develops later in life and does not respond well to asthma treatment. It is not caused by external allergens but instead can be caused by exercise, infections, stress and chemicals in the environment. Therefore it is important for asthmatics to be tested for what they may be allergic to and to avoid coming into contact with those substances as much as possible.

One of the best ways to handle stress is through exercising, but many asthmatics mistakenly believe that exercise will increase the possibility of an asthma attack. That is perhaps understandable, since we generally associate shortness of breath with physical activity. However everything depends on what sort of exercising you do, and a properly planned regimen of exercise can actually decrease the risk of attacks. Exercise is a great stress reliever, as well as helping to create stronger respiratory muscles, desensitizing the airways to irritants and reducing the need for medication.

Greg is a health and fitness professional for GB Personal Training based in Hampstead, North London. He specializes in exercise for asthmatics. Find out more here: http://www.gbpersonaltraining.com/Exercise-and-Asthma.htm

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