5 Exercises to Help Take the Breathlessness out of Asthma

June 28, 2024Updated:June 28, 2024

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This is part 7 in “Easy Exercises to Combat Chronic Disease”

In this series, occupational therapist Kevin Shelley focuses on simple exercises to help manage common chronic diseases.

As a child, my friend and I often played a game in his backyard with his dog. We would call his dog’s name, then run wildly for cover, hoping to hide before he came to the open back door, barking excitedly. At one point, I sprinted behind a decorative fence, panting from the exertion and gleeful to have found such a perfect hiding place.

However, the panting didn’t stop. Instead, it grew much worse—terrifyingly worse. This was the first time I had experienced asthma.

Anyone with asthma, especially those with the sudden and breathless escalations, may not associate it with exercise. Many patients with asthma tend to avoid exercise, which can lead to muscular weakness and a lack of endurance.

Asthma can complicate rehabilitation as we try to distinguish between anxiety-related activity avoidance and true physical weakness. I often advise my students that the most intense expression of fear on a patient’s face is when they struggle to catch their breath.

Exercise is essential, and there are ways to work around asthma. This set of exercises is designed to strengthen your core and peripheral muscles while avoiding “poking the rattlesnake” of asthma.

I recommend consulting your medical provider about whether these exercises are right for you. During asthma flare-ups, all forms of exercise should be avoided.

5 Effective Exercises for Asthma

1. Walking

Walking is an excellent activity for anyone with asthma. It allows you to regulate your exercise intensity and offers a practical approach to maintaining your endurance. It’s also a great way to assess your overall level of endurance.

Step 1: Start walking at half speed for 5 minutes to allow your body to warm up. Pay attention to what your body tells you, and be alert for any shortness of breath.

Step 2: For the next 5 minutes, accelerate your pace to your normal walking speed, again paying close attention to your body.

Step 3: Depending on how you feel, you can either continue walking at your normal pace or accelerate slightly. Try to walk for 30 minutes.

Step 4: Slow down to half of your normal walking pace for 5 minutes to allow your body to cool down.

Plan for short distances so you can return home more easily if you get fatigued. If outside environmental factors tend to trigger your asthma, you can perform this exercise on a treadmill.

2. Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbers build off a planking movement, making it a challenging core exercise with a cardiovascular component.

(Chung I Ho/The Epoch Times) — Chung I Ho/The Epoch Times

Step 1: Begin in a pushup position with your arms and legs straight.

Step 2: Lift one foot, then bend your knee and flex your hip as far as you can. Return the foot to the starting position and perform the same movement on the other side.

Step 3: This counts as 1 repetition. Try to perform 1 set of 30 repetitions and 3 sets in total.

Take heart if you struggle with these at first; they are challenging but easy to scale for your particular needs. If you prefer, you can do one leg at a time instead of alternating legs.

3. Stepping Jacks

Stepping jacks are a modified version of jumping jacks, offering a more controlled and less intense exercise option.

Step 1: Stand with your arms by your sides and your feet slightly apart. Step to the right with your right foot while raising your arms outward and over your head, then bring them back to the starting position.

Step 2: Repeat on your left side.

Step 3: This counts as 1 repetition. You can either perform 3 sets of 50 repetitions or, instead, time yourself for 2 to 3 minutes, depending on how your body responds.

These are much easier than they may sound and usually become natural with practice.

4. Single-Leg Floor Touch

This exercise is great for strengthening your leg and back muscles while improving your balance.

Step 1: Stand with your feet side by side and slightly apart and your arms by your sides. You can stand close to a wall or counter to provide support as you balance.

Step 2: Bend at the hips and slowly reach down to touch the floor with one hand while lifting your leg on the same side straight out behind you. Be sure to keep your back straight. Take 1 to 2 seconds to reach down and about 1 to 2 seconds to stand back up.

Step 3: This counts as 1 repetition. Aim for 15 repetitions per leg for each set, and try to do 3 sets.

You can perform this exercise on one side at a time or alternate between sides, depending on which feels best. Be sure to pay attention to what your body is telling you. If balancing during this exercise seems particularly challenging, rest assured that it is. Keep at it, and you will master it.

5. Bear Crawl

I recently reintroduced the bear crawl into my exercise routine and was surprised by how challenging it was, even though I had stopped doing it just a few months prior. It’s a superb core-building exercise that requires enough space to perform the across-the-floor movement. It’s also an excellent outdoor exercise, though the neighbor’s dog might bark at you.

Step 1: Start on your hands and knees in a pushup position. Your arms should be straight, your palms flat, and the balls of your feet should be on the floor.

Step 2: Simply crawl across the floor on your hands and feet without touching your knees to the floor. Move slowly, taking up to 2 seconds for each step.

Step 3: This counts as 1 repetition. Try to perform 30 steps per set and 3 sets.

Easy Exercises to Combat Chronic Disease