Weighty matters

20 July 2011

Maintaining a healthy bodyweight can help make your asthma easier to manage. Here's the skinny on why weight matters.

Why does your weight matter?

  • Carrying a few extra kilos can make your asthma harder to manage – the more kilos, the harder it gets
  • Working towards your ideal bodyweight can help you get fewer symptoms and use less medication
  • Losing weight can help you sleep better
  • Plus being overweight or obese can make you more likely to develop asthma in the first place.

Inspired? Talk to your doctor before you start any new health and fitness program. Your doctor can check how your asthma is going, plus give you expert diet and exercise advice.

It’s time to lighten the asthma load

  • Following a healthy balanced diet is good for asthma
  • Low-fat dairy foods are great – don’t cut these out unless you have a proven allergy to cow’s milk
  • Swimming is a terrific way to exercise with asthma
  • Having asthma shouldn’t hold you back!

Get moving with asthma

  • Take the first step – Make sure your day-to-day asthma is under control
  • Use your reliever before you warm up – Ask your doctor what dose you should take
  • Remember to start slowly – Your lungs need to warm up too
  • Keep your reliever handy – Be prepared if your asthma flares up


 

Tags:

asthma, bodyweight, exercise, obesity, weight
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