When we exercise, the need to get more oxygen into our body means that we have to breathe faster, even through our mouths. As a result, the air enters the bronchi at high speed, without being warmed or moistened, so it reaches our lower respiratory tract cold and dry. In susceptible people, this causes the bronchi to close to the passage of air, giving rise to asthma symptoms.
But this does not mean that people with AMA do not have to lead an active life since Physical exercise is an indispensable part of your treatment. As long as asthma and its symptoms are under control, the asthmatic person can perform any type of physical activity.
Practicing physical exercise provides multiple benefits for asthmatics, for example:
- Reduces the feeling of suffocation.
- Improves the immune system.
- Facilitates weight control.
- Improves mood.
- It helps us stay healthy and prevents the onset of other diseases.
Some tips for leading an active life are:
- Walk or bike to places.
- Use the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Avoid sitting for long periods of time
If you don't exercise, it's time to start, there are no excuses. To find out how to do it, we invite you to sign up for HappyAir, our coaches, respiratory physiotherapists specialized in physical exercise will help you lead a fully active life. In addition, our Virtual Asthma Assistant (Altys) will provide you with all the necessary information to help you.
What is exercise-induced asthma?
Although Physical exercise is an indispensable part of the treatment of a person with asthma. Exercise-induced asthma sometimes occurs and is defined as an acute and reversible obstruction or closure of the airways caused by exercise.
When we increase the number of breaths per minute, that is, the respiratory rate, during exercise, the air will enter our lungs cold and with little humidity because our nose and bronchi do not have time to warm it and moisten it. This rapid passage of air through our airways causes them to close abruptly, causing an obstruction that prevents air from entering and leaving, giving rise to symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, tightness and a feeling of suffocation.
Symptoms usually begin 3-15 minutes after starting the exercise and disappear spontaneously after 20-90 minutes, although they may sometimes recur a few hours after stopping the exercise.
The intensity of an exercise-induced asthma episode will depend on the degree and duration of exertion.
This is a problem that not all asthmatics will suffer from. This is typical of those who have poorly controlled asthma. To prevent this situation, it is essential to keep asthma under control and for this we recommend:
- Take the medication exactly as prescribed by the doctor.
- Check that the patient is taking the medication correctly, since using inhalers is not easy.
- Attend all your medical check-ups.
- Always carry your rescue inhaler with you to use in an emergency.
- On colder days or days with a higher concentration of pollen or pollution, exercise indoors.
- Practicing sports that allow us to rest, such as team sports.
- Warm up before starting to exercise and cool down afterwards.
- Do not exercise at very high intensities.
- Take air in through your nose and release it through your nose or mouth.
- Wear clothing appropriate for the temperature of the place where we exercise.
- Stop if symptoms appear.
- Ask any questions you may have.
If you want Our coachess help you prepare an individualized and specific training plan for you, sign up for HappyAir and they will contact you.
How to deal with an exercise-induced asthma attack
As we have already mentioned on other occasions, exercise can trigger asthma symptoms due to how the bronchi react to the passage of air. If this is your case, we will tell you how you should act in the event of an attack caused by exercise.
- Stop if you start to hear notes:
- Coughing and/or wheezing when breathing.
- Feeling of shortness of breath or drowning
- Chest tightness.
- You can't even speak short sentences.
- Acts:
- Sit down.
- Get rid of any clothing that restricts your chest and/or abdomen.
- Take your rescue medication, as soon as possible, as prescribed by your doctor.
- Evaluate your symptoms at 20'. If they have disappeared you can resume exercise at low intensity, if they have not, take a new dose of the rescue inhaler and wait another 20 minutes.
- Re-evaluate your symptoms after these 20' and if the symptoms do not disappear take another dose of the rescue medication and see a doctor
If you have exercise-induced asthma, we recommend that you do not do it alone. Inform the people who go with you of your situation and teach them how to act in case of an attack; their collaboration can be very important.
If you want to learn how to exercise safely and create a personalized training plan for yourself, you can sign up for HappyAir and ask our coaches how to do it.
http://www.aepap.org/sites/default/files/educacionparalasaludcolegios.pdf
https://www.asthma.org.ukfile:///
http://www.sgaic.org/wordpress/?p=11
https://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/factsheet_recommendations/es/
Last updated on 7 March, 2026
