If your asthma is properly controlled you should be able to participate fully in any sport or exercise that you enjoy, including competitive team sports.
If you are wheezing, experiencing tightness of chest or coughing during or after physical activity, then it is likely that exercise is a trigger for your asthma. If your asthma symptoms get worse during or after exercise, then it may be a sign that your asthma is not well controlled. If you are experiencing these symptoms, it’s better to focus on getting your asthma under control than to avoid exercise.
What to do if you think exercise is a trigger for your asthma:
- Always make sure you use your reliever inhaler (the blue one) immediately before warming up.
- Always make you sure you have your reliever inhaler with you and that it is easily accessible during exercise.
- Always begin with warm-up exercises for 15-20 mins.
- Make sure that the people you are exercising with know you have asthma.
- Avoid other triggers if possible (e.g. pollen, air pollution).
- Make sure you warm down after exercise.
- Ensure that you are taking all your medication as prescribed by your doctor, especially your controller medication which reduces the chances of an attack occurring.