Important Tips For Asthmatic Triathletes
People with asthma can participate in athletic activities just like everybody else without getting attacks or other asthma symptoms. Partaking in athletic activities is encouraged for those ailing from asthma because it helps with one’s lung function. A little more caution during exercises is all you have to exercise if you have asthma. If you are a triathlete with asthma, it is important to be aware of your condition and know when it is in a controlled state. The effects of asthma on a person’s lungs are reversible and so this means that you have as much opportunity as a person without asthma. This article seeks to give the reader a few tips aimed at helping asthmatic triathletes.
Firstly, ensure that you have the right diagnosis. This is because it is not possible to treat an ailment properly if you are not sure what it is. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that coughing and wheezing are brought about by asthma but there is need to understand that there are very many illnesses that have the same symptoms. This is why it is important to get your doctor’s opinion rather than diagnose yourself.
Secondly, ensure that you fully understand your limits. It is important to note that one can easily get an asthma attack during training because the cardiovascular exercises performed by triathletes tend to be very strenuous on the heart and lungs. Asthmatic triathletes need to know just how far they are supposed to push their bodies so as to avoid getting attacks. It is important to understand that you need to be extra cautious with your body if you are suffering from asthma and as such, you should ease your body slowly into increasing sped or endurance.
Thirdly, you need to ensure that you do not start your exercises without your inhaler with you. Having it with you will help you when you start to experience any symptoms. Some triathletes tend to use their inhalers before they start exercising as a means of keeping the symptoms at bay. Before you decide to do this yourself, ensure that you ask your doctor if it is necessary or safe for you.
If you are a triathlete with asthma, you need to accept that you have the condition and be honest about it. A lot of people keep their illnesses to themselves so as to avoid getting pity but it is important to let somebody in your team know so as to be ready to take action in the event of an attack. Some triathletes wear medical bracelets and these also help because they will let people know what you are suffering from in case you get an attack and cannot speak.