If you are fit/do cardiovascular exercise and strength training regularly are you better able to tolerate and survive an asthma attack than someone who doesn’t exercise?
Experts might say yes to promote exercise but to what extent do you think it really helps?
My respiratory physio says that the less fit you are, the more oxygen is required by the major muscle groups to function normally.
When asthma is making my lungs unhappy, the last thing I want is my major muscle groups needing more oxygen.
Makes sense. But then what if you have big muscles from body building surely they would need more oxygen than smaller muscles
Before I had asthma, I was a mountain walker, orienteered and also did mountain marathons.
For me, I did not want excess muscle, which was inefficient, I wanted fit muscles, which were big enough, but no more.
As I attempt to fight back against my asthma, I want to get back to having fit muscles that allow me to orienteer at speed. I am less keen on building excess muscle up, which I do not need, and as you say consumes oxygen.
I would bounce your question off a respiratory physio re bodybuilder muscles. Asthma UK I think have a respuiratory physio on their helpline on 0300 2225800, you may though need to book a phone call with her.
>>>Before I had asthma, I was a mountain walker, orienteered and also did mountain marathons.
I did all of these things too, before I develoled asthma. Do you think your asthma developed becasue of the cold air? I think I got mine due to excessive biking during a particularlt "good" year when I felt in shape (200 miles as week cycling and 70k a week running). It's quite uncomfortable to have an asthma attack on a moiuntain top where a helicpoter rescue is the only way to safety.
Soooo... everything should be in moderation.
I will never know what caused my asthma.
I certainly pushed my lungs with what I did, and I did quite a lot of walking on the Scottish hills in the snow and ice, in horrible weather. It never bothered me at the time. Though it was walking and running in the hills in foul weather when I had a series of what I now know were minor asthma exacerbations that sent me to the doctors.
However as you say, doing a excess of something, normally has a consequence.
I am off with my old walking club to Scotland in May, they will be munro bagging, and I will lead the odd local very relaxed wander in the Glen for the injured and knackered. The worry is always there though, what will happen if I have a major asthma attack?
In January some old walking friends took me up a minor lake district fell, and the wind grew cold, which was a concern, luckily I was with people I trusted.
I think the answer is that you have to walk with somebody who can get help and you trust
Did you get rescued by helicopter then?
I was OK, I did not have to get rescued by a helicopter. It was on some knife-edge ridge in the French Alps. But there is always the anticipation of the worst which lasts between 30 and 45 min.The attacks always happen when there is a pause in the exercise, i.e. at the top of a mountain when one still needs to get back (classical EIA symptoms). Taking the blue inhaler in advance does not prevent these.
I did some hill running near Aviemore during the semi-pandemic times. Camped in the woods, it was mostly OK.
Well my my breathing and health is so much better for being fit and healthy I go to the gym Monday - Friday and do roughly 12hours a week training and I would class myself a bodybuilder, but I do make sure I start each session with cardio (20 min running) as I know it's beneficial for my Asthma.
If having a bit of strength and stamina in the body and stamina of respiratory system didn't make a difference the NHS wouldn't have spent millions on Pulmonary Rehabilitation courses.
One has to exercise wtih caution and take all the necessary preventative steps (the rescue inhaler, air pollution status, weather etc). The NHS recommends exercise, but in practice I find it hard to implement safely, and there is no concrete advice on how to avoid triggers while exercising. Air pollution forecasts are great, but I had attacks on pristinely beatiful days when one can see 50 km in all directions.
Exercise is a major trigger for asthma: one is exposed to 5-10x more allergens/irritants due to heavier breathing. The cold/dry air is a trigger for EIA (exercise-induced asthma). The majority of my scary asthma attacks happenned following/during running or cycling excursions, often in remote places. Some resulted in hospital stays. When I exercise these days, I always wear a respirator and carry an epipen. Even if there are no allergens in the air, one never knows if a farmer decides to burn grass on his lot when you are running by, or to fertilize his field. So I mostly exercise indoors these days. As long as gyms do not trigger your asthma (they smell of rubber, may have dust in their soft foam mats etc), should be OK. Plus, there are people around who can help if in case of an emergency.
I'm not sure if exercise can help you survive an asthma attack but for me exercise can reduce the chances of an attack, I walk most days and cycle and have fewer asthma symptoms when I'm fit
Exercise helps I think. Its definitely helped me maintain good lung capacity and being fitter helps fight of other illness which can make asthma worse.It can though be a trigger and when my asthma is uncontrolled it's sometimes hard to discern between asthma symptoms and just sob because of not being fit or pushing my fitness levels.
I love walking too but need to be cautious when asthma isn't controlled I was helicoptered off the nantle ridge with bad asthma in my 20th. I don't let it stop me tho. So when not so good I do indoor sports like swimming and karate which are both good for practicing controlled breathing. Martial arts have definitely helped me all my life with breathing techniques and being able to stay calm when having an attack to focus on breathing .
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