Anyone got any tips.

I had a programme done at the gym but its a load of rubbish i just can't do the stuff shes picked for me.
Its 5 mins warm up on cross country bike
Then 10 mins quick run treadmill
15 mins cross trainer
10 mins stepper
10 mins on regular bike all on level 6 on the various machines
then a variety of weights all of which seem to be for arms but its my legs that I really want to tone and finally some ball work and bike again to cool down and some stretches.

Its just too much for me it triggers my asthma I told her but she was useless and she just suggested oh if your asthma is bad then just do a bit less but its never going to be good enough for me to do all that.

At the moment I'm going and I'm warming up by walking on the treadmill and doing a 15 min or so jog, then doing 15 mins or so on the stepper, 10 mins crosstrainer sometimes I vary them and do more on the crosstrainer and less on the stepper and a bit of bike all apart from the stepper all at lower intensities than she suggested. I'm not really touching the weights at all I'd like to do a bit but my back isn't the best and I don't really know what I should be doing.

I want to get the most out of it, fitness wise and toning wise and I'm getting a bit bored of doing the same things all the time. Anyone got any good ideas of how I can vary it a bit and get a proper gym routine going on without killing myself?

You have to complain m'dear. There should be someone at your gym who has done some training courses on training people with health issues. There are whole courses on exercising for asthmatics, so you should make a suggestion that someone in your gym attends one and gives you some proper help.

Intervals. That is what I do with my asthma. I do say 1 minute level one, a minute level 3 a minute level 5 a minute level three then a minute level 1. That way you are getting yuor heart rate up, and easing your lungs into a workout properly. I listen to my lungs, some days they are better than others and I can push it out a bit further.

Doing core like the fit ball will help your back and stomach, and a that in turn will assist your breathing, helps to regulate the diaphragm so when you do hve an attack those muscles go "hey, those airbags above could do with some help" and assist to regulate your breathing.

My asthma is becoming a lot more tolerant to exercise, it's improved a lot. I can do an hour or more hard cardio without needing my puffer, though it's always handy.

You really need some more guidance on the weights, is there anyone else in that gym??? If not, come up to me for the day, pay a tenner and we'll get my trainer to help you

Hey, I have exertional triggered asthma too and my doc recommends that I use my inhaler before I start to work out. It works well for me. My asthma is much improved now though, so I only have to do that during the height of grass season or if I'm having another allergy flare up.

Keep doing as much as you can and you should see improvement.

Don't be scared of weight training, it will *really* help your back. I'd recommend making an appointment with a physical therapist to get started though. Mine was a life saver and my back is soooo much better now. I wish I'd done this years ago!!

They just don't get it!
But, do remember that we really are the only ones who know exactly how our individual asthma behaves. My allergist, who I've been with for years, points out that I am better at managing my asthma than she could ever be, and that she's there to support me and make suggestions. I try new drugs, etc, new routines and some work and some don't.

Now, about trainers - I gave up and talked to an exercise physiologist. What she said was that many asthmatics have an exercise-induced asthma to their disease, and that the solution is longer, and slower.

So try modifying the suggestions to find what works best for you. It may take you longer to get to optimal fitness FOR YOU, but you will get there.

And, don't forget, many of us find that swimming is a great cardio exercise. Funny thing I've noticed, it's not the skinny girls in bikinis swimming laps, it's all fat ladies and really buff guys. And they're very nice to me.

Enjoy -
Sue

What I love about my pool is that the people who use it are all ages shapes and sizes. I especially love seeing the 90 year old ladies out there swimming laps! I want that to be me in 50 years

I've got a new pool, I miss my old community one, because it was full of those 90 year old ladies, who are so inspiring. They don't care who sees their wrinkly knees, and less than perfect thighs, and every wrinkle tells a story.

With the whole exercise physiologist thing, I think the UK (where princess and I are) might be different, because I have never heard of one. I have used three gyms, and at each one the trainers have been really good. I have had one less than perfect one, but I sat down with him and explained that I have some specific training needs, and either he could research them and help me, or I would have to be allocated another trainer. He's now fantastic, has done a heap of reading, and has designed the most awesome cardio program ever, which is challenging, but adaptable to whatever my lungs decide to do that day. And I'm not just helping me, there must be loads of other asthmatics at my gym!

Nowadays in the UK, all gym staff need to be trained to a minimum standard. There's no excuse for any instructor not to have some background in asthma management, and there are plenty of resources for them to utilise to make themselves aware.

THere is another girl that maybe I could ask. Shes really friendly but she doesn't tend to work my gym times. But if I see her I'll grab her. I just feel I need some assistance with the weights i'm really worried I'll damage myself I do want to do my arms but I want toning not muscle I'd love to have something proper on my legs. I might go tomorrow and be brave and just experiment a bit but I'm not confident at the gym and don't want to waste my time by doing unproductive stuff.

I'm changing gyms at the end of June anyway because I'm moving so I guess I'll just see if they can sort me out better at the new one.