If you suffer from breathing difficulties, it may seem impossible to exercise. However, being able to exercise is essential to remaining healthy and stopping completely will only make matters worse. When you use the tips and precautions found here, you can maintain a healthy, physically active life, without suffering from breathing problems.
Breathe More Effectively
To begin with, you need to start and maintain effective breathing during the exercise routine. Breathe through your nose and if you have to exhale through the mouth, try to purse your lips, instead of being completely open mouthed. This will help to keep the breathing regular and can help you extend the exercise session.
Choose the Right Exercise
A portion of exercising with breathing difficulties will involve selecting the right type of activity. Activities or sports that require additional cardiovascular activity are usually not recommended, and this includes things such as soccer or long-distance running. If you decide that this is what you want to do, then you should work to build your endurance slowly and be sure not to overwork yourself. One exception for this is swimming. It is ideal for those suffering from breathing difficulties. The warm, damp environment can help to keep the airway from getting irritated.
Use of an Inhaler
Your doctor may suggest use of the inhaler before physical exertion if you have issues breathing. These decisions are between you and your doctor. Be sure to use the inhaler as recommended, which will help you be able to exercise longer without suffering from any breathing difficulties.
However, many times, the use of breathing exercises will help to reduce symptoms. When the symptoms are reduced your doctor may advise a reduction in medication. This is a more natural approach to improving your breathing.
Warm Up and Cool Down
Starting to exercise right away without taking the time to warm up can cause serious pain for virtually anyone, but it can be especially dangerous for those who suffer from breathing issues. It is essential to take plenty of time to get the body warmed up, which will help to adjust it to the level of exercising you plan to do. If you skip the warm up and cool down periods, it can make breathing problems even worse and result in you having to cut the exercise session short.
Taking the time to heed the tips here will help ensure that you can effectively exercise even if you suffer from breathing difficulties.
