Asthma is the most common chronic respiratory disease in the world. Approximately 10% of the population suffers from it, highlighting that the disease affects not only the lungs but also the respiratory tract and often coexists with other disorders such as allergic rhinitis.
In this sense, you are probably wondering if doing aerobic exercises such as running can help you fight asthma. Doing any physical activity strengthens your lungs and allows you to be healthier, but if you suffer from asthma, you should be very careful.
Some studies show that activities like running, swimming, or bicycling can help you breathe easier and reduce asthma attacks. However, there's no evidence that exercise can reduce airway inflammation, so, likely, that you'll still have some trouble breathing from time to time.
Precautions to follow when running
If you have asthma and want to run, you must follow these precautions to avoid any accident:
Always take your medicine when you go out
Each person is unique, so it is impossible to know the exact effect of physical activity such as running. In this sense, you should not trust yourself; whenever you leave your house, you should have your medicine in case of an emergency.
Warm-up before going out
Warming up before exercising is very important to avoid muscle injury. However, it also has the purpose of preparing your respiratory system for any physical activity. 10 or 15 minutes of warm-up is enough to start running.
Run after it rains
You won't be able to do this all the time, but try to go for a run after it rains. Rain cleanses the environment and reduces the amount of pollen and dust in the air, the two main agents that cause asthma attacks.
