New year, new you, right? Everyone’s talking about their resolutions and what they plan to achieve in the next twelve months — and there’s no shortage of people advising on how to make it happen. Let’s face it, keeping up with your New Year’s resolution could be difficult. Sure, you may lose the weight and get in shape, but if you have exercise induced asthma and cannot control your symptoms, you won’t be able to keep up with your new exercise regimen.
Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast or have been dragging your feet about exercising, exercise induced asthma is something that could be holding you back. The good news is that there are ways to treat it. However, there may be a few things you didn’t know about exercise induced asthma that can help you keep your New Year’s resolutions.
What is Exercise Induced Asthma?
If you’re like many other people come the new year, you’ve made a list of resolutions to get in shape. And if you suffer from exercise induced asthma, it has probably thrown a wrench into your health and wellness plans. Exercise induced asthma is a condition that causes wheezing, coughing, trouble breathing, tightness of the chest, and other symptoms in response to exercise. It’s estimated that as many as 50 million Americans could have asthma, and only about 10% of asthmatics are exercising induced asthmatics.
What are the Signs?
Knowing how to spot the signs of an asthma attack can help you prevent severe attacks from affecting your everyday life. Especially when trying to accomplish one of your most important New Year’s resolutions. The symptoms listed below typically appear either during or soon after you begin your exercise regimen. They can also be more or less severe than other people’s reactions since everyone’s body is different. The list includes:
- coughing
- wheezing
- fatigue
- poor athletic performance
- chest tightening or pain
Preventing an Exercise Induced Asthma Attack
Everyone’s body reacts differently to exercise, especially when you suffer from exercise induced asthma. It’s not uncommon to see two people of the same body composition doing the same exercise and suffering different degrees from their symptoms. This is why it is essential to understand how your body reacts to different activities. If you want to prevent an attack, this step is critical.
For example, if you find that your asthma flares up more when running on the treadmill, it may be time to cut back on those exercises. Instead, focus on movements that do not overwork your body as much such as yoga, lifting weights, or walking. Although these might not be the exercises you are aiming to complete it will help to control your symptoms. Once you are on an effective treatment plan you can work up to the exercises that once were too difficult.
1. Avoid Outdoor Exercises
With the cold weather sticking around for the next few months, it may be best to keep your exercises indoors. Did you know that cold air can make your asthma symptoms worse? This is because your bronchial tubes within your lungs become dehydrated and drier faster because of the dry cold air shrinking them and making breathing more challenging. Have you ever tried to take a deep breath when it is cold outside and found it difficult? Even in the warmer and more humid months breathing can become more difficult. But you won’t have to worry about that until months down the road.
2. Listen to Your Body and Know Your Triggers
You know your body better than anyone. When something feels wrong or uncomfortable, your body signals to you that it is time to stop. I know we all want to push ourselves to be better, but sometimes it can be worse if we don’t take a step back. Working out is a great time to get more intune into our bodies and mind. This body-brain connection can help us prevent asthma attacks and know when to rest. Ultimately this makes you more efficient in your workout routines and can help you achieve your goals even faster.
3. Create a Treatment Plan with Your Doctor
If you find it hard to control your exercise induced asthma symptoms, it may be time to seek professional help. An asthma specialist will work with you to pinpoint triggers, relieve symptoms and create an individualized treatment plan for your specific needs. They can also prescribe you medication that will help alleviate your symptoms during flare-ups or asthma attacks.
Exercise Induced Asthma: Conclusion
You no longer need to suffer through your workouts. Our asthma specialists here at Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates of Central Florida are here to help you fulfill your New Year’s resolution of physical health. Contact us today to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists. We have offices that are conveniently located across central Florida for easy access to all of our patients.