When I was feeling okish, or at least better than before, with new meds and thought things would keep improving, I decided to join a gym. Resp physio encouraged me to as she said increasing fitness would be good.
So today I thought 'well, I'm not feeling too bad, I'll try going to the gym.'
Tried a 'rookie's workout'. Missed several stages, did not many reps and half the time stated on the cross-trainer at fairly low intensity (it said 10 mins high intensity. I'm not that much of an idiot.) But could hardly talk afterwards (was really breathless talking to someone I knew there, coughing, and feel absolutely knackered. Ughh).
i really don't know why I thought that would be a good idea. Have now realised I am paying too much money a month for something I'm not sure I'll be able to use - not really worth it if one very basic workout not done fully leaves me like this...
Does anyone on here who's not so severe that gym-going is out of the question have any tips for how to make it work (other than don't do what I just did?)
i started a gym last year and probs only been around 3 months of that due to one problem and another, i take my blue first then do 3 mins warm up on treadmill,
then 15 mins cross trainer on level 3,
15 mins on the bike on level 3,
15 mins treadmill on gradient 1.5 and on number 6
i try to do it all but sometimes stop through it but i figured anything is better than nothing
then when i get home i take my seretide before bed
i think people dont realise how much excersise wears us out but im not botherred what others think i least we try lol i pay 42 a month so its expensive but i could use the sauna/ swiming pool as well but not sure bout the sauna yet if it woluld help or make me worse
Cheers Pam! I might try that, sounds better than what I tried today. They had leaflets for 'rookie' but not 'people with partially controlled asthma who will try to do too much' - don't know if a personal trainer could help but it would cost. Still might be worth it if it means I could actually use the gym, assuming of course they don't get so worried I might collapse that they tell me not to come...
EDIT: didn't process that properly. Just realised you said 15 mins on each, I was having trouble with 5, just about managed 10 on treadmill but had to alternate walking and the jogging was awful.
I might try the pool, I used to be reasonably good at swimming though unfortunately I know they heat it really high and I am not great with steamy atmospheres so I avoid the steam room. You might find the sauna is ok though even if you have the same problem, I would have though dry heat should be ok. Maybe try for a bit and see?
You can get a health rate from Gp to get discount gym membership... around here I think I paid £2 a class or unlimted for £10 a month
Mmm it's a hard one. I love the gym but the lungs hate it . I went to one. And the trainers where excellent ... but asthma got too bad i gave it up. As soon as I improved joined another one slightly less expensive ...... My initial
Induction was great told them I was wanting excercise tolerance ... However At my 4 week review, New trainer was a nitemare didn't listen to me and put me on that cross country trainer, was like bambi on ice ... New programme was a cardio workout .... So didn't go back .... An expensive lesson......
When u go ... Go at a pace that' your Comfortable with I did 5 minutes in cycle and treadmill only. Couldnt tolerate the rower .. I Did slow steady pace .... Ie Walk ,fast walk then a brisk walk ..... Gave it welly on the cycle, that was my favourite tho !!!!
Hi am a newbie but been lurking for a while but just had to answer your post as one thing I do love is exercise. Although I am not a trainer.
You have to start slow and with low expectations of what you can do.
Take 2 puffs of ventolin about 10-15 mins before you start.
Warm up well. Eg 10 mins on the bike at level 1 or 2. The bike is low impact and uses less energy. The point of the long warm up is,as I understand it, to get your airways slowly use to the increased unwarmed air going through them so they don't take fright and close up.
Walk on the treadmill at 0 incline at the same speed you can walk your fastest outside the gym. For
five minutes if that is all you can manage. I do about 10 hrs of swimming a week and if I was to start a running programme I will always start walking there is no shame in it.
Perhaps up the incline to 1 or 2 % if all is going well. If you can't hold a conversation you are going too hard. Over weeks you can increase the speed slowly but do each stage 2/3 times before you move up.
Weights are a good tool for eg overweight people who want to loose weight but their bulk will not allow them to do enough cardio to loose sufficient calories. Weights build muscle which means greater metabolism which means loose weight faster. I really doubt this is the type of weights you did as it requires heavy weights and low reps which requires good form so gyms tend to recommend in leaflets for beginners lighter weights more reps which 'tone'. Not much help to you i presume if your goal is too help your asthma.
Perhaps also try yoga or pilates if the gym has classes. Both use deep controlled Breathing as part of their skill set which I find helps. My team mates often comment that I am doing my yoga breathing again as I use it too slow down my breathing when the lack Of air that is coming in makes me want to hyperventilate or panic.
I sometimes take a few puffs 10 or 15 mins in if I have been feeling esp bad. The ventolin puffs I only do when it's uncontrolled. If it's controlled then a long warm up does the trick.
Hope this helps. Hermee.
Thanks! Mainly replied on your post but just wanted to say again after reading through that this is really useful. I do want to tone as I have a lot of muscle that's threatening to get flabby, so was going to go for the light weights, but along with that I obviously want to do the cardio. I am not obese or overweight but breathing-wise I might as well be! So starting slow sounds good.
Also not exercising when it turns out you are coming down with a cold, have undiagnosed dizziness problems (another hurdle for gym use but I have not been told not to do exercise) AND asthma, all at the same time.
careful with the dizziness on the machines - you don't want to fall off and injure yourself!! the ski machines might be better for you than the threadmill. this is because you are holding on to something and not lifting your legs off the floor so if overcome by dizziness at least you are grounded and holding on and if you stop moving the machine stops unlike a treadmill. also as you use your arms you have a upper body workout. the conditioning benefit is the same as the treadmill so you don't loose out there.
alternatively if you do a circuit of (e.g. change reps as suitable but not the rest time) 10 x squats, rest a minute, 10 x press up minute rest 10 x lunge one leg rest minute, other leg, assisted chin up, rest, then repeat 3 times rest one minute and do plank 30 secs x 3 30 secs rest in between you will def get a cardio work out (anything that elevates your heart gives it a work out (as you know) and this def will), you have no danger from falling over with dizziness on a machine, you have the rest periods that will help the asthma breathing issues but not too long that will remove the conditioning benefit and you get toning benefit in legs, bum, upper arms and back and stomach.
warm up before hand on bike. as you improve you can start holding free weights.
cut and pasted from other post for the benefit of anyone else reading.
Really hope the exercise tips help. swimming is a good exercise for toning all over esp the upper arms or own body weight exercises which tone but don't really build too much muscle as your own body weight is too low to do that. pop in some press ups and squats and lunges and assisted chin ups and plank.
what gym do you belong too? my own (virgin) allows you to ask for a free trainer session/tips. i did this when i had a shoulder op and arm in a sling and they gave me some tips on diff exercises to do without hurting it and another time when i wanted some specific tips. o try that. just be really clear about your asthma induce limitations as the other poster said. good luck.
Thanks again - this is all really useful! I prefer the cross-trainer/skiiing machine anyway as like you say can tone upper arms at same time (and they could do with it!). I may also do an arm workout next time as they have a leaflet for it and it shouldn't be too strenuous asthma-wise. An added complication is that I can't use anything where my arms go above my head due to an odd spinal/shoulder thing - it's fixed but physio warned me not to do anything that involved arms over head.
Wow I am so healthy and uncomplicated...not! I may have to ask their advice - it's LA Fitness, not sure what they have on offer. So far they seem ok but think it's a bit stingy given how much they charge to make you pay extra for a padlock (I would have thought being able to use the lockers securely should be included in a membership fee, it's kind of a basic part of the facilities. Grrr. Anyway, not relevant).
I would like to try swimming as I am not bad at it and like you say it's good all-over exercise - only thing is that being awkward again, I don't do too well with very steamy atmospheres and from what they say the pool is pretty warm. But will definitely try it and see as I really like swimming anyway.
I swim for 30 minutes every weekday morning and try to get the the gym 3 times a week - that doesn't always work, though. I think the main thing is to do what you can when you can and not worry about what others think when you stagger out gasping for breath after spending 5 minutes on the treadmill!
If your gym keeps the pool very hot you are probably right to avoid it - despite my regular swimming there are days when I walk into the poolside, turn round and walk out again because it is so hot and humid that breathing feels a bit like inhaling a wet flannel. I use the sauna but avoid the steam room and the hot tub.
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