Are you a hard-core athlete, hitting the track every morning? Or do you only play pick-up games on weekends? Maybe you consider walking around the mall a major workout. No matter how much or how little exercise you’re used to, asthma doesn’t have to affect your level of physical activity, according to the National Institutes of Health. You should expect to be just as active living with asthma as you were before being diagnosed.

Your activity benchmark

Paying close attention to how your body handles physical activity can help you control asthma. If your management plan is working, you should be able to do normal daily activities without so much as a single wheeze. But how do you know what’s normal for you? Whether you’re a couch potato or a marathon runner, it’s important to talk to your health care provider about your personal definition of normal activity. This is your activity benchmark, a yardstick to help measure how well you’re managing asthma symptoms.

If you’re a star athlete, your activity benchmark will be higher than others. You should be able to handle your usual morning workout with no trouble, as long as your asthma is under control. Daily activities (from walking the dog to running a 10K, if that’s what you’re used to) should not trigger an asthma episode. If they do, talk to your doctor about adjusting your asthma management plan.

Your activity benchmark can also help you decide how far you can push yourself without triggering an asthma episode. If you’re thinking about going out for a sports team but you haven’t been getting much exercise, it’s best not to start out with a full practice — your benchmark simply hasn’t adjusted to the added physical activity. You can still train, but you have to work closely with your doctor to make sure you’re not taking on too much at once. Ask your doctor about strategies to prevent asthma symptoms during exercise.

Activity and your environment

Your environment can affect your ability to handle normal daily activities, not just exercise. In very cold or dry conditions, even shopping at the mall or hurrying to your locker between classes can be hard on your lungs.

When environmental conditions are less than ideal, pay closer attention to how your body responds to physical activity. If you feel wheezy, stop and take a rest. Breathe through your nose whenever you can. It’s the perfect air conditioner, warming and humidifying air before it reaches your lungs. And make sure you drink enough water, especially during exercise. The average person needs six to eight 8-oz. glasses of water each day. When you exercise, take small sips of water before, during, and after your workout.

Most teens find that with good asthma management skills, they can be as active and stay as active as they want. Don’t let asthma stand in your way. If there’s a sport or hobby you’d like to take up again — or something new you’d like to try — start out small, listen to your body, and talk to your doctor about ways you can keep asthma symptoms from slowing you down.

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 14th, 2007 at 1:34 am and is filed under Teens. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.