Breathing exercises help with asthma
According to a new study by Australian researchers from University of Sydney, simple breathing exercises and/or upper-body exercises can greatly reduce the need for asthma-relieving inhalers by as much as 86%.
Asthmatic adults of all ages learnt one of two exercise techniques. One group was taught to take only shallow breaths through the nose, which they practised twice a day, and to hold their breath - all elements of the Buteyko method, which is regarded by doctors as an unproven, alternative medicine technique. The other group learnt shoulder rotations, arm exercises and relaxation techniques. All those in the 57-person trial were instructed to try the exercises first if they experienced an asthma attack, and only to use their reliever medicine if the symptoms did not improve.
After 12 weeks the average decrease in reliever use in both groups was 86 per cent, while the participants were also able to reduce their reliance on inhaled corticosteroids used to prevent attacks - decreasing the dose by about half.
While neither form of exercise affects the underlying symptoms, they make asthma sufferers more confident that they can control their symptoms without medication and hence they had less severe attacks.
Technorati Tags: health, fitness, asthma, exercise
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