5 helpful exercises for people with asthma

If you have asthma, it likely shouldn’t keep you from being active "Not only should those with asthma be able to participate in exercise, but in fact, it may improve their cardiac fitness and reduce the severity of attacks," says Clifford Bassett, MD, founder and medical director of Allergy and Asthma Care of New York.

For people with asthma, some exercises may be better than others. Cold-weather sports, like skiing, could be dangerous because cold air narrows your airways. Other sports with constant activity—like soccer, basketball, and distance running—may also be more likely to trigger symptoms. So, what activities are best for people with asthma? 

Swimming could be an ideal choice. Cold, dry air irritates the lungs of people with asthma. But when you swim, you breathe in warm, moist air, which doesn't usually trigger symptoms. The horizontal position of the body while swimming may also make breathing easier.

Note that one potential problem is the chlorine in swimming pools, which may irritate the airways.

When it comes to low-impact, high-quality exercise, walking is an excellent option, whatever your general fitness level. Taking regular walks offers significant health benefits—including lowering the risk of heart disease, Alzheimer's risk, and bone loss. It also promotes better-quality sleep and can help you manage your weight. 

Aim for 30 minutes of brisk walking, five times a week, or more if you are able. But remember: Every minute of activity helps, even if it’s only a few minutes here and there throughout the day.

Why not add a game to your walk? Golf is a low-intensity activity that can get you outside and into the fresh air and sunshine, which may offer more health advantages than exercising indoors. To amplify golf’s health benefits, leave the cart at the clubhouse. You'll get a better workout if you walk and either carry a bag or push a cart for 18 holes.

Exercises that involve quick, short periods of intense exercise interspersed with more restful periods may be helpful for people with asthma. This includes sports like baseball, gymnastics, or short-distance running or sprinting. 

Many studies have found growing evidence that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is beneficial, too. This type of vigorous exercise combines strength with aerobic training. With HIIT, brief periods of vigorous movements—like 30 seconds of squats—are paired with short periods of more restful movements, like walking in a circle. 

In addition to HIIT helping with aerobic fitness and managing asthma symptoms overall, it may also be easier to breathe during HIIT sessions, though more research is needed to confirm. 

With its emphasis on breath control, yoga is another wise activity choice. Research suggests yoga is not an effective treatment for improving asthma itself, but it can be a helpful complementary therapy for some people with asthma. Why? Stress is a frequent trigger for asthma symptoms, and yoga is centered around alleviating stress and calming the mind and body.

If you want to try yoga, it’s important to work with an instructor who’s aware of the needs of people with asthma, as some yoga poses and associated breathing exercises could trigger difficulty breathing. Generally speaking, it’s best not to hold your breath or to take quick breaths. Stick to long, slow, steady breathing. 

Properly warming up is just as important, if not more so, than getting active, according to Dr. Bassett. Plan to warm up for about 10 minutes. This increases the blood flow and oxygen to your muscles, readying you for the track, pool, gym, field, course, or court. "The warm-up also helps to reduce sudden temperature changes in the lungs, which may aggravate or bring on exercise-triggered asthma," says Bassett.

Equally important is the cooldown. "The goals of a proper cooldown include gradually lowering the heart rate, helping circulate oxygen to muscles, and removing lactic acid byproduct of muscle metabolism," Bassett adds.