Exercise and Asthma

webmaster@vertexfitness.com (Vertex Fitness) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Asthma is an increasingly common lung disease in the U.S. People who have asthma have inflamed and highly irritable airways. When the airways are exposed to irritants, they narrow, making breathing more difficult. Signs of asthma include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and difficulty breathing, especially at night and early in the morning. Common irritants include tobacco smoke, air pollution, viral infection and allergens like dust mites and cat dander. Vigorous exercise also can act like an irritant by triggering airway spasm and narrowing. This is referred to as exercise-induced asthma.

The ABCs of Exercise-induced Asthma

About five to 10 minutes into a strenuous soccer game you start to cough

and feel short of breath. You tell yourself that you're out of shape and recommit to your resolution to participate in vigorous cardiovascular exercise at least three days per week. But then, the next time and the time after that the same feelings of difficulty breathing set in. You finally go visit your doctor, who tells you that you have asthma. But this only happens with exercise, you say.

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Exercise Can Help Control Stress

webmaster@vertexfitness.com (Vertex Fitness) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:00:00 GMT

People who exercise regularly will tell you they feel better. Some will say it's because chemicals called neurotransmitters, which are produced in the brain, are stimulated during exercise. Since it's believed that neurotransmitters mediate people's moods and emotions, they can make you feel better and less stressed.

While there's no scientific evidence to conclusively

support the neurotransmitter theory, there is plenty

to show that exercise provides stress-relieving benefits.

There are four ways in which exercise controls stress:

Exercise can help you feel less anxious�Exercise is being prescribed in clinical settings to help treat nervous tension. Following a session of exercise, clinicians have measureda decrease in electrical activity of tensed muscles. People are often less jittery and hyperactive after an exercise session.

Exercise can relax you�One exercise session generates 90 to 120 minutes of relaxation response. Some people call this post-exercise euphoria or endorphin response. Many neurotransmitters, not just endorphins, are involved. The important thing, though, is not what they're called, but what they do: They improve your mood and leave you relaxed.

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ACE Fit Facts Exercising with Health Challenges

Exercise and Asthma

Exercise Can Help Control Stress