Getting active after lockdown
Caroline Fredericks is Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation Partnership’s Respiratory Nurse Specialist Co-Lead, and in her latest blog she shares how you can safely get back into exercising and stay motivated.
We’ve all been affected differently by the pandemic and your routines and activity levels may have altered during lockdown. Some of you may have been more active during lockdown – maybe you’ve taken up a new online class, started yoga or a new home exercise routine, or you may have been going for walks, when the weather allows.
On the other hand, you may have been less active during lockdown for a variety of reasons. You might have been ill, been lacking motivation, or just fallen out of your normal routine and physical activity has gone by the wayside.
Whatever your situation and whatever the reasons, now is a great time to think about becoming more active.
I want to start a new type of physical activity – what can I try if I have asthma?
There aren’t any activities that are off limits for people with asthma, but if you’re starting a type of physical activity for the first time, it’s important to be mindful of your symptoms.
Make sure you’re taking your preventer inhaler every day, as prescribed, as this will help to protect your airways and reduce the chance of being active triggering your asthma. It’s also important that you keep your reliever inhaler close by when you’re doing physical activity.
It’s also a good idea to speak to your GP or asthma nurse, as they can suggest ways to be active that might be suitable for you.
You can start off small and build up your activity levels. You could try going for a walk every day, going up and down your stairs a few times, or doing a few stretches at home. The NHS also has free programmes designed for beginners, such as Couch to 5K and Strength and Flex, where you build up your fitness gradually over a number of weeks.
Make sure you have an asthma action plan in place, in case you find any increase in symptoms after physical activity. If you don’t have one, download an action plan from our website. We have more tips on getting active if you have asthma on our health advice pages.
Managing your expectations if restarting physical activity
It’s important to do activity that’s at the right level for you. If you’ve not been active for a while and want to resume an activity you did before, it might be tempting to start at the level you left off at, but you may have lost a degree of fitness. Chances are you might have lost a bit of fitness and stamina, depending on how long your break has been, so it’s wise to start at a lower level of activity, then build back up.
You might also want to talk to your GP, asthma nurse or asthma specialist, to check if the activity is still right for you. It’s also wise to do this if you’ve recently had an asthma attack or you’ve been diagnosed with severe asthma, as they can advise you on safe and gentle ways to get active.
We’ve got some suggestions of questions you might want to ask your GP or asthma nurse about being active on our severe asthma and exercise page.
Keep yourself motivated
It can be difficult to stick to physical activity, but there are lots of ways you can keep yourself motivated. Choosing a type of physical activity you enjoy is key. It might take a few tries at different things to find one you like, but it’ll be worth it. Also, as gyms and exercise venues reopen, there’ll be lots of activities to choose from.
You might also find it useful to find a family member or friend to exercise with. This can be great for motivation, as you can encourage each other and help each other keep at the activity you’ve chosen.
There are more tips on sticking with your activity routine on our health advice pages.
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