A report on asthma and exercises says, for people with mild asthma, shallow breathing through the nose, and some non-specific upper body exercises, will make people to use a reliever inhaler very rarely.
A medical journal Thorax focuses that breathing techniques are the most commonly used alternative for inhalers. A short-acting beta-2 agonist, such as albuterol, is the reliever used by many people with asthma.Since these two were 2 different methods (shallow breathing and upper body exercise), but found to give same changes in asthma therapy.
Dr. C. A. Slader, from the University of Sydney, Australia, and his colleagues suggests, less demand on inhalers is not only due to practicing breathing techniques but has significant effect on regularly reinforcing it and feeling relaxed and self-efficant when using beta-2 agonist.
Random assignment of (57 mild asthma) patient to two breathing techniques which was followed for 30 weeks on daily twice basis were made. The outcomes are assessed after 16 weeks by putting subjects to inhale reduced corticosteroids.
Hypoventilation, breath holding after exhalation, and breathing through the nose involves the first technique and the second one (upper body exercise) involved shoulder rotations and arm lifts performed in sync with breathing cycles.
At last about 86 percent reduction and a 50% decrease in the use of beta-2 agonist reliever and inhaled corticosteroids respectively were found. And it was found to have significant effects on quality of life, lung function, or constriction of the airways in response to asthma triggers.
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