How do you exercise outside in the winter?

[Pringlemania]

Hi fellow asthmatics! I have moderate asthma but one of my biggest triggers is exercise in the cold weather. I'm a very fit 28 year old woman - on a mild day of between 10 to 25 degrees I'd be running, cycling and pre-pandemic I'd be going to gym and dance classes too. Now that all gyms and indoor classes are banned under tier 4, and I live in a very small and shared flat so exercising in my living room is very limited, does anyone have any tips for managing asthma outside? I take my reliever 15 minutes beforehand, i have a scarf to cover my face, but does anyone have any tips ?

[Newbiejohn]

Hi, I am the same, always run outside in milder weather but the cold triggers my asthma. I've been running outside for the past few winters and the way I manage it is to start my runs really slowly for a mile or so, making sure I run with a clear negative split on my colder runs. The slow start acclimatises my breathing to the cold. I do still get wheezy when I have finished running for quite a few hours after but this way I can run without having to stop. I take my inhaler about 20 minutes before and wear a snood over my mouth and nose at the beginning of the run. Cycling i find harder, especially up hills so I tend to stick to warmer weather for that! Hope that helps a bit!

[Wheezycat]

I am just over 70, but I suffer with the same. Last winter especially it got bad, though it had been around for some time. So, like you I take Ventolin before venturing out, I use a merino buff which is easier for me to manage than a scarf, and, in particular, I walk very slowly, slower than I normal speed for me, and it works! While today it didn’t work (it was very cold) often I can walk around for an hour or so and just enjoy it, I can also speed up a little after my body has acclimatised to the temperature. For me the most important thing is to let go of all various targets and measuring, a la Forest Bathing (basically walking around enjoying trees etc, and really seeing, listening etc.) That way I can do it and it is liberating.

[Hippopotamai]

Take ventolin/reliever pre-exercise a good 10-15 mins beforehand. If you can, breathe through your nose and out of mouth to utilise your natural filter. Start slow and do a good warm up. Definitely recommend covering face. I wear a tube scarf which I find helps. I'm a mouth breather as I have permanent nasal congestion. It helps me when I play rugby.