Asthma is a chronic condition in which the airways become inflamed and narrow, making breathing difficult, particularly during exercise, illness or stress. Medication prescribed by your doctor is the foundation of managing it. But many people with asthma also look for ways to feel more in control of their breathing, and yoga for asthma is one of the most researched complementary approaches. Here is what the evidence suggests, which practices are worth trying and how to exercise safely with asthma, from the team at Hammer’s Gym in Nunawading.
Important: yoga is a complement to asthma treatment, never a replacement. Keep taking your medication as prescribed, carry your reliever, and talk to your doctor before starting any new exercise program.
What the research suggests
Reviews of clinical trials, including a Cochrane review, have found that yoga may produce modest improvements in quality of life and symptoms for people with asthma, with some studies also showing small improvements in measures of lung function. The evidence is not conclusive and study quality varies, but the direction is consistently positive and the practice is low-risk. The likely mechanisms are below.
Better breathing control
Yoga’s breathing practices (pranayama) train slow, diaphragmatic breathing and longer exhalations. For people who habitually breathe fast and shallow from the upper chest, common in asthma, learning to breathe calmly from the diaphragm can reduce the sensation of breathlessness and help during the early stages of a flare-up while you reach for your reliever.
Stronger respiratory muscles
Regular breathing practice and postures that open the chest and strengthen the trunk may improve the endurance of the muscles involved in breathing, making everyday breathing feel easier.
Less stress
Stress and anxiety are common asthma triggers, and the fear of an attack can itself tighten breathing. Yoga reliably reduces stress and teaches you to stay calm when breathing feels tight, which is a valuable skill in itself. Read how exercise helps anxiety and stress.
Better sleep and general fitness
Improved sleep and cardiovascular fitness both help people with asthma cope with symptoms. Regular, well-managed exercise of any kind is recommended for most people with asthma and tends to improve rather than worsen control over time.
Practices worth trying
- Diaphragmatic breathing: one hand on your belly, breathe in slowly through the nose so the belly rises, exhale gently for longer than you inhaled. Five minutes daily.
- Alternate nostril breathing: a calming practice that slows the breath and settles the nervous system.
- Gentle sun salutations: a flowing sequence that builds fitness and mobility at a comfortable pace.
- Chest-opening poses: supported backbends and standing forward folds that stretch the chest and shoulders.
- Savasana and guided relaxation: lying still and breathing slowly to finish, which trains the calm response.
Vigorous breathing techniques such as rapid “breath of fire” can trigger symptoms in some people with asthma; approach them cautiously and only under an experienced instructor’s guidance.
Exercising safely with asthma
- Follow your asthma action plan and keep your reliever with you.
- Warm up thoroughly for 10 to 15 minutes; a gradual warm-up reduces exercise-induced symptoms for many people. See our warm-up routine.
- Be cautious in very cold, dry or high-pollen conditions; an air-conditioned gym is often easier than outdoor training on those days.
- Start gently and build up. Stop and use your reliever if you experience wheeze, chest tightness or persistent cough.
- Tell your instructor or trainer about your asthma so they can adjust.
Try yoga at Hammer’s Gym
Hammer’s runs yoga classes suitable for beginners as part of every membership, alongside Reformer Pilates and a full timetable, and our instructors are happy to modify practices around your needs. Read yoga for gym-goers for how it fits with the rest of your training, then claim a free one-day trial in Nunawading, minutes from Mitcham, Blackburn, Box Hill and Doncaster. And once more: talk to your doctor first, and keep your treatment plan exactly as prescribed.