Locations:
Search IconSearch

7 Tips to Overcome Asthma When You Exercise

Find ways to control symptoms in colder months

swimming exercise good for asthma

If you’re an athlete with asthma, you don’t have to hold back. With proper medication and conditioning, you can participate fully in sports. But in colder months, you should take some special precautions because cold dry air can trigger asthma attacks.

Advertisement

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy

You start your workout and begin to wheeze or cough, feel short of breath or a tightness in your chest, generally peaks within 10 to 15 minutes and resolves by 60 minutes. This happens if you have exercise-induced asthma because your airways are overly sensitive to temperature and humidity.

“Normally, our nasal passages warm and moisten the air we breathe,” says pulmonologist Nirosshan Thiruchelvam, MD. But he says during exercise, we tend to breathe through our mouths, so the air we inhale is colder and drier.

Playing ice hockey or winter sports compounds the problem. An asthma attack causes muscle bands in the airways to react to the cold with spasms, which narrows the airway and causes symptoms. Upper respiratory infections can make asthma worse.

How to relax the airways

Dr. Thiruchelvam says the primary goal is to ensure that you don’t avoid exercise. Here are some practical things you can do if you have exercise-induced asthma:

  • Use asthma medications. A short-acting beta-2 agonist (such as albuterol) with two inhalations 15 to 20 minutes before exercise can prevent airway spasms for several hours. A long-acting bronchodilator will work for 12 hours, but generally not recommended as a monotherapy. Long-term inhaled anti-inflammatory medications may also be required to “quiet” the airways.
  • Breathe through a scarf. During training or exercise, breathing through a scarf can help to pre-warm the air as you breathe harder.
  • Avoid exercising outdoors in frigid temperatures. Find alternate exercise options inside, such as working out at a gym or swimming in an indoor pool.
  • Wait until any colds or sickness subside before you exercise. Allow your body to fully recover before exercising, especially when you have a cough or any upper respiratory issues.
  • Do 10-minute warm-ups and cool-downs. This can help your airways adjust and is a good habit to form for whenever you exercise.
  • Consider playing sports that require short, intermittent bursts of energy. These include football, baseball, wrestling, gymnastics and track. They are easier on the airways than sports that require endurance, such as soccer, long-distance running and basketball.
  • Try swimming. A warm, humid environment often makes swimming a good choice for people with exercise-induced asthma. However, sometimes irritants in the air, especially at indoor swimming pools, can aggravate asthma so pay attention to your symptoms. It is also reasonable to reduce chloramines in an indoor pool environment.

Advertisement

Gaining and maintaining good control over exercise-induced asthma often requires teamwork. A primary care sports medicine physician can help you keep your asthma well-controlled, so that exercise is less likely to trigger symptoms.

Advertisement

Learn more about our editorial process.

Related Articles

Person wearing a mask with a germ symbol on their sweater, walking their dog outside
October 7, 2024/Exercise & Fitness
Is It OK To Exercise With COVID-19?

You can work out with mild COVID-19, but not in a gym, and listen to your body and don’t overdo it

Person positioned on foam roller, stretching muscles
September 26, 2024/Exercise & Fitness
IT Band Stretches for Tight Muscles

Relieve a tight, achy and aggravated IT band, as well as hip and knee pain, with these at-home exercises

Person lying on yoga mat in living room doing a piriformis stretch
September 25, 2024/Exercise & Fitness
Here’s How Being Flexible Is Good for Your Health

Flexibility helps with your balance and range of motion, and can protect you from injuries

Legs and feet of person in blue leggings walking on a treadmill at gym
September 19, 2024/Exercise & Fitness
Health Benefits of Walking Backward

Turning your walk around can burn more calories, boost your mental health and improve your posture

Smiling Person briskly walking outside on sidewalk, jacket tied around waist
September 18, 2024/Heart Health
Can Walking Speed Be a Sign of Your Heart Health?

Studies show those who walk faster tend to have a lower risk of heart disease

Person outside, grabbing shoulder
September 17, 2024/Orthopaedics
Tendonitis vs. Tendinosis: How Can I Tell the Difference?

Both are forms of tendinopathy, but one is more of an acute injury caused by inflammation, while the other is the result of degeneration over time

Person using recumbent stationary bike at gym facility
September 12, 2024/Brain & Nervous System
Benefits of Exercise for Friedreich’s Ataxia

Staying active can help increase strength and flexibility, help maintain balance and coordination, and improve overall heart health

Person doing squats on mat at home
September 4, 2024/Weight Loss
This Is How To Lose Weight the Right Way — and Keep It Off

Successful weight loss takes a long-term commitment to healthy living — create a healthy lifestyle you can keep up

Trending Topics

Female and friend jogging outside
How To Increase Your Metabolism for Weight Loss

Focus on your body’s metabolic set point by eating healthy foods, making exercise a part of your routine and reducing stress

stovetop with stainless steel cookware and glassware
5 Ways Forever Chemicals (PFAS) May Affect Your Health

PFAS chemicals may make life easier — but they aren’t always so easy on the human body

jar of rice water and brush, with rice scattered around table
Could Rice Water Be the Secret To Healthier Hair?

While there’s little risk in trying this hair care treatment, there isn’t much science to back up the claims

Ad