I have severe asthma that makes it nearly impossible to do any strenuous exercises for a long period of time. I also never leave the house unless I have to. I'm working on that, and losing weight and improving my self image will help even more. The trouble is I haven't done anything truly hard in at least a year and a half. So now the little things are intense workouts for me. I miss being able to run for more than a block without falling on my a** from exhaustion. Any ideas on how to get back in the game and lose weight without killing myself? Any specific exercises that will give me cardio benefits but be better on my lungs? And way i can do them at home?Will this shortness of breath go away a bit after my lungs are strengthened or will I be stuck with it?


Thanks

You need to check with a doctor. Asthma is nothing to fool around with.

to my knowledge (and i could be wrong), asthma doesn't have anything to do with lung strength...it's how your bronchial tubes etc react to exertion, cold air, pollutants, etc whatever you are sensitive to...

until your asthma is appropriately managed, i'm not sure you will be able to do any cardio consistently...i highly encourage you to see a doctor

i have severe asthma...i have exercise-induced asthma as well as allergies to cats, mild food sensitivities and occasional reactions to perfumes and smoke although not consistently

i used to take Advair prior to any cardio and that helped AMAZINGLY well!! i also always carry an inhaler or have it nearby....right now i'm not needing Advair prior to cardio and i believe that's due to weight loss (less pressure on my chest?) but i'm not sure...i use my inhaler before running and i'm fine...HOWEVER running outside triggers my asthma extensively so i keep my running almost exclusively to the treadmill

hope some of this helps...please see a doctor about your asthma so that you can get into a routine of cardio

I have moderately severe asthma and it took a long time to retrain my lungs so to say. Start small. Dance around the house. If you get winded, take a break. I used to do a check list of 50 reps of the following:
Crunches, jumping jacks, modified push ups, squats, boxer punches. As long you're moving, you're losing calories. You just have to know when to stop to take a break. I have to drink a ton of water and caffeine ( like a cup of coffee) before always helps open my airways. If I know I am gonna get an attack or I feel tight, I use my inhaler as an anticedent. Good luck

I agree with the comment that you should see your doctor and that asthma has nothing to do with lung capacity. If it's bad enough that you're unwilling to leave the house, this is definitely something you should address if you haven't already.

If you've exercised in the past and you're just getting back into it, you have the benefit of being able to regain your fitness level faster than someone starting from scratch. I know a lot of people who love Leslie Sansone and her walking DVDs (here: http://www.walkathome.com/).

Do you have agoraphobia or do you not leave the house because of allergies? I agree with the other posters, you need to see a doctor before starting an exercise plan, a doctor will be able to help you address your concerns about your asthma.

Doctor.

I am a severe asthma sufferer with ARDS on top of it...and with proper medications you CAN run. I am proof of this. Last August, I was hospitalized in ICU for 3 days and remained in the hospital for two weeks due to an O2 sat of 42%...which is lower than some corpses that go to the morgue. My three year old daughter found me in a coma. I should have died...all due to poorly managed asthma. I was 29...and was told I would be on disability the rest of my life. I was 29 and on an oxygen tank and was told I always would be. I was told I will have significant and life long scar damage to my lugs due to not getting proper treatment soon enough. I was 29 and nearly died due to poorly managed asthma. That poorly managed asthma turned went from moderate to severe...and added another problem on top of it (ARDS) due to my negligence. Don't play around with it. Go to a doctor. Not any doctor...not an GP...not an allergy doctor...but an asthma and pulmonary doctor. They can get you set up on the proper plan that will make your asthma manageable. I went from having 20-50 attacks a day to roughly 1-2 a month. I went from not being able to walk up stairs to running a mile. It took a LOT of time. I mean A LOT. I am still recovering. My O2 sat hovers between 92-99%, but still drops to 71% on a regular basis and when it does, I immediately pass out and have to be hooked up to an O2 tank that resides in my house. I was sick NINE months ago.

But, those episodes are rare now. The proper treatment allows me to live my life. The life I almose lost due to poorly managed asthma. I can not stress that enough.

Don't play around with it. Get to a doctor. It may involve allergy shots. It may envolve two or three asthma time release medications. It WILL involve a rapid release rescue inhaler and it WILL involve a nebulizer. but after a time, you WILL feel better. I know. I learned the hard way. Don't make my mistake.

If you haven't you definitely should see a doctor about your asthma. There are also supplements you can take that might help- Vitamin C, fish oil, and lobelia drops are all known to help asthma. And of course there are fast acting inhalers and longer acting bronchial dilators that might help that your doctor may prescribe.

Since you are housebound, you should check - if you haven't already - for things inside the house itself that might be causing your asthma such as mold. And you should be running HEPA filters to keep the air as clean as possible.

Your cardio doesn't have to be high intensity to be beneficial. Walking is fantastic exercise, and you can build on it to walking faster and faster until you can jog, and then run.