Facts About Exercise and Lung Health

FACTS ABOUT EXERCISE AND LUNG HEALTH
Exercise has many health benefits including helping the heart and lungs work better.  Unfortunately, many people don't exercise because they are busy and feel too tired at the end of the day. This lack of exercise eventually leads to muscle weakness, fatigue, and shortness of breath.  Inactivity only makes these symptoms worse. It is important for everyone to exercise regularly, especially people with lung disease.  With regular exercise, muscles become more efficient and need less oxygen to do the same amount of work. This results in more energy for daily activities.

The benefits of exercise
According to the latest Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health, regular physical activity reduces the risk of developing or dying from some of the leading causes of illness and death.

Regular physical activity:

• Controls weight.
• Reduces feeling of depression and anxiety.
• Builds and maintains healthy bones, muscles, and joints.
• Helps older adults become stronger and better able to move about without falling.
• Reduces the risk of dying prematurely or from heart disease.
• Lowers blood pressure in people who are hypertensive.
• Reduces the risk of diabetes, colon cancer, and developing hypertension

The report concludes that a person can obtain significant health benefits by including a moderate amount of physical activity (such as 30 minutes of brisk walking, 15 minutes of running, or 45 minutes of playing volleyball) on most days of the week. Through a modest increase in daily activity, Filipinos can improve their health and quality of life.

A personal fitness program
It is important to pick an enjoyable exercise or activity, so that the chances of quitting are reduced. Consultation with a doctor about good exercises is also helpful.  The Medical City offers a pulmonary rehabilitation program that includes exercise for people with lung disease. At the beginning of a program, people may not be able to exercise for too long, but the time for exercise should be increased gradually. Also, keeping an exercise diary will help to track improvements and maintain motivation.  Walking, dancing or gardening are good activities for people with lung disease. Walking is a good exercise to start with because it's easy. It can be done anywhere, and doesn't need any special equipment other than good walking shoes.

Tips for patients with lung disease
Patients with lung disease should consult with their doctor before beginning any exercise routine. They should also follow these steps:

• Clear the lungs of mucus by coughing.
• Start with a warm-up period, including stretching and reaching exercises.
• Practice relaxing and breathing deeply while exercising. Breathing out should take twice as long the breath in.  Counting to four while exhaling may be helpful in keeping time. Also, breath should never be held while exercising.
• Exhale on exertion.  For example, exhalation should be done when lifting or extending the arms, while inhalation should be done during the passive parts of the exercise.  When in doubt, breathe out.
• Resting for a few minutes will relieve shortness of breath, but it is important to continue and finish the exercise.
• Exercise should finish with a cool-down period by performing less intense activities.  This allows heart rate and breathing to return to normal and reduces muscle cramping.
• Set realistic goals and work on them.  Lung patients should start a comfortable pace that they can increase as they progress.

Asthma and Exercise
Asthmatics should keep fit because obesity may aggravate asthma.  Studies have found that obese children are more likely to have asthma. Among adults, overweight people face greater risk of developing asthma. Although it is still unknown how obesity leads to asthma, researchers speculate that being overweight compresses the airways, making them smaller and more reactive to asthma triggers. Exercise is important for people with asthma but it may
bring on asthma symptoms in some people, a problem known as exercise-induced asthma. The following are recommendations for reducing the chance of having an exercise-induced attack:

• Avoid exercise if there are any signs of breathing problems before starting.
• A preventive dose of asthma medications may be used before exercising, though this should be done with doctor's consent.
• Warm up before exercising with six to 10 minutes of low-level exertion, such as walking and stretching. This can be followed by 10 to 20 minutes of brisk walking. A similar cool-down period should complete the workout.
• Avoid asthma and allergy triggers.  Inhaled allergens, such as dust and dust mites, pollens, animal dander, and air pollutants, can aggravate asthma.  People with inhaled allergies should avoid exercising in places where these triggers are present.  If pollen is a trigger, outdoor activities should be avoided before 10:00 a.m., when pollen counts are at their highest.
• Minimize outdoor exercise time in cold weather. When exercising in cold temperatures, wear a scarf or cold-air mask to warm and moisten the air before it reaches the airways.
• Exercise should be stopped if an asthma attack develops.

Air pollution and exercise
Exercisers who like the outdoors should be aware of air quality. Outdoor exercise should be done away from highways and cars because ozone smog can make even healthy people sick.  It particularly causes health problems for people with asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and other lung diseases.  Smog harms the body's airways.  In the short term, inhaling ozone smog causes wheezing and coughing; shortness of breath; chest pain when breathing deeply; asthma attacks among asthmatics; and eye, throat and nose irritation. In the long term, ozone smog can cause reduced lung function, inflamed lung lining, and increased respiratory infections. Any tightness in the chest, coughing or wheezing, should cut the workout short.  Because of the large amounts of air taken in during exercise, exercisers can be particularly affected by air pollution. 

Reference :
American Lung Association
Section of Pulmonary Medicine, The Medical City

Note:   This information is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advise, diagnosis or treatment.   If you or someone you know have any of the symptoms mentioned above, it is advisable to seek professional help. 

For any inquiries or if you would want to seek consult, please call:

PULMONARY DIAGNOSTIC &THERAPEUTIC CENTER
Tel. No. (632) 988-1000 / (632) 988-7000 Ext. 6238

CENTER FOR PATIENT PARTNERSHIP
Tel. No. (632) 988-1000 / (632) 988-7000 Ext. 6444