Gym membership

Rather random topic but is wondered if anyone else is in the same situation. I thought I was really unfit as I was out of breath walking and felt as if I would collapse if I walked uphill...... So I joined a gym! Stupidly I signed a 3 year contract at a bargain price of £12 a month.

16 months on, looking back I now know it was asthma that was the cause of me being so out of breath and i have to pay a gym I never go to hehe.... What a waste of money!

The last time I tried to go to the gym was February, asthma was finally diagnosed in March. Now it's August I think I may try fast walking on a treadmill to see how I get on.

Lisa

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Hi Lisa,

I usually go to the gym quite regularly as my asthma is not exercise induced but I do struggle outside with the cold air and pollen. However, my lungs are being very temperamental at the moment and so I haven't been able to go for the past few months. I'm not sure whether it is available at every gym but mine will hold my membership when I am unable to go for medical reasons so for the past two months my membership was suspended and then this is added to the end of the contract. I only found this out when someone commented they hadn't seen me for a while when I had six weeks off due to surgery last year. They explained this and then I asked whether it applied when my asthma is bad or another illness stops me from going. They did say it has to be diagnosed but have never asked for any confirmation. Like you, I am hoping to go back to gentle walking/biking soon.

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Seen as you've paid for it, you may as well use it! Start of slow and steady, listen to your body and stop when you need to. You can build up distance/time/speed over time. How about swimming (if there's a pool and the chlorine doesn't affect your asthma), its good on your joints, can be relaxing and done at your own pace. Just remember to take your reliever beforehand if that's what you have been advised, and make sure you have it with you at the gym.

Like kayla said, it might be worth liking into the possibility of mambership suspension to cover periods where you might not ve able to attend due go asthma.

I appologise for terrible spelling, on my phone with auto spelling, and for some reason can't edit when on mu phone.

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Last time I went swimming (before chlorine started affecting me) I made sure to tell the lifeguard that I was asthmatic and I kept my inhalers near all the first aid stuff (I have a lil make up bag thing that I keep mine in and any tabs I need). She kept coming over during the session to check I was OK which I was really impressed with. Just don't over exert yourself. Does your membership include classes? You could ask which are quite low impact, maybe yoga, pilates. Again make sure you tell instructor before session starts and keep your inhaler handy.

When I was first diagnosed with asthma it wasn't really exercise induced. As time has gone on it has gotten harder and harder for me to exercise, very annoying as I know how helpful it can be for asthma so it's defo worth you trying to get a few low impact things done at the gym. For me, I find it does make a difference in the long runbut I can find it very frustrating as at the moment I have been trying to run a few times a week and I feel that my stamina is just not improving but it will be, its just hiding behind my twitchy lungs.

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