5 Ways to Prevent Exercise-Induced Asthma

Although at-home workouts can be strenuous, they can take a turn for the worst if you have exercise-induced asthma. About 90 percent of people with asthma have exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, according to the Mayo Clinic. However, the condition can occur in people without asthma too.

So, what is exercise-induced asthma? According to AAFA.org, people breathe deeper and faster when exercising because of increased oxygen demands of the body. As a result, the airways narrow in the lungs, triggered by rigorous exercise.

Exercise-induced asthma symptoms include wheezing, shortness of breath when exercising,  fatigue while exercising, chest tightness or pain, and coughing with asthma. These symptoms typically occur within five to 20 minutes of exercising or five to 10 minutes after exercising has stopped. If not treated, exercise-induced asthma can lead to low quality of life due to an inability to exercise, as well as severe or life-threatening breathing difficulties.

If you or a family member exercise at home and have asthma, it would be beneficial to know what can trigger exercise-induced asthma. Some factors include cold air, dry air, air pollution, chlorine in swimming pools, and activities with long periods of deep breathing such as swimming, soccer, or long-distance running.

At airpurifiers.com, your trusted resource and partner for all things air purifiers, we understand how hard it can be to exercise, especially if you’re experiencing symptoms from exercise-induced asthma. This is why we have done the research for you and found many ways to keep you exercising without any complications.

First, however, read on to find out why air purifiers are the best-bet solution to keep your at-home workouts a routine.

How Air Purifiers Can Help Prevent Exercise-Induced Asthma

If you struggle with asthma, the design of air purifiers has this in mind. When we inhale ultra-fine airborne particles, inflammation of the lungs’ airways occurs. This can create minor and severe health concerns for asthmatics, such as shortness of breath, wheezing, chest pain, and coughing. Ultimately, this puts you at risk for having an asthma attack, and you can often have difficulty sleeping. 

The good news is that air purifiers with an H13 HEPA filter or higher effectively eliminate at least 99.97 percent of ultra-fine particles linked to asthma. Airborne household chemicals can also often cause asthma symptoms. This is why air purifiers that come with an activated carbon filter are the best-bet as they adsorb chemicals, gases, and smoke such as tobacco, cigars, cigarettes, and more. No matter where you are working out, it would also be helpful to consider the size of the space when choosing the right air purifier for asthma. It’s best to choose an air purifier that has a recommended room size that’s larger than yours, especially if you have sensitive lungs.

Moreover, indoor air quality is more important than ever. In the age of the coronavirus, air purifiers with an H13 HEPA filter or higher expertly remove the flu and COVID viruses, which spread through the air with similar airborne particle and droplet sizes. These highly efficient filters can also eliminate pollen, mold spores, dust mites, pet dander, and other allergens.

Here are Five Ways to Prevent Exercise-Induced Asthma:

1. Run an Air Purifier

Using an air purifier as a remedy to prevent exercise-induced asthma is an intelligent choice. Air purifiers pull the smallest particles out of the air, capture them in a HEPA filter, and then push clean air back out. Running an air purifier can help everyone breathe healthier, cleaner air by removing up to 99 percent of harmful airborne particles that can trigger asthma. This includes mold, mold spores, pet dander, dust, bacteria, viruses, chemicals and gases, and other allergens.

2. Warm-Up Before and After Working Out

Doing 10-minute warm-ups and cool-downs can help your airways adjust. Ultimately, these small tasks are a great

3. Wear a Scarf

Breathing through a scarf while exercising is an intelligent choice. Wearing a scarf while exercising can help pre-warm the air as you breathe harder.

4. Don’t Exercise in Cold Temperatures

If you have asthma, no matter how much you love going for a run in the cold morning air during the winter or swimming in the fall, it would be best not to do so. Cold air is a trigger for exercise-induced asthma. It would be beneficial to exercise in the comfort of your home, garage gym, or an indoor swimming pool or gym.

5. Take Asthma Medications

Before working out, it would be very beneficial to use an asthma inhaler or bronchodilator. By taking medication at least 10 minutes before exercising, you can control exercise-induced asthma symptoms. How so? The use of asthma medication can help prevent the airways from contracting, helping control exercise-induced asthma.