Exercise and bronchitis-Do they go together

Are you an exercise junkie, but shortness of breath due to bronchitis makes you think you’ve got to stop? Well, it isn’t entirely true. With a structured plan, you can exercise and take care of your bronchitis as well.   

What is Bronchitis?

The inflammation in the bronchial tubes is known as bronchitis. The most common bronchitis symptoms you’ll face are:

• Runny nose
• Sore throat
• Shortness of breath
• Cough which produces mucus 
• Dry cough
• Wheezing sounds when you breathe
• Mild fever
• Fatigue

Does exercising help?

In a cycle-based exercise training programme for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients, 85% of them experienced an improvement in their daily life. 80% of those patients also experienced an increase in the endurance towards fatigue. It may seem unusual to recommend exercising to those who experience breathlessness. However, it’s one of the best ways for them to restore physical fitness. (NCBI)

Exercising cannot improve your lung function. But proper training can surely improve endurance towards reduced breathlessness by increasing your oxygen capacity. Increasing oxygen capacity is especially essential for people with COPD as they require more energy to breathe than people without the condition.  

Exercising for acute and chronic bronchitis patients

With acute bronchitis, the symptoms are mostly limited above the neck region with sore throat or a runny nose. So, exercising can be recommended for these patients. But ensure that you drink enough water to stay hydrated. However, when the symptoms are severe causing respiratory problems, you should consult your treatment expert.

For chronic bronchitis patients, you need exercises which help you strengthen your chest muscles and improve your cardiovascular abilities since they open up your airways helping you breathe easily.

When we say exercising, you’ll be typically thinking about exerting yourself in the gym. But there are many other less severe forms which can benefit you.

• Cycling: Providing benefits to your heart, cycling can be gentle on your joints as well. It can elevate your lower body endurance which is beneficial for chronic bronchitis patients. Your upper or lower body endurance is the ability of your muscles to sustain constant movement.
• Swimming: Just like cycling, swimming is a stellar cardiovascular workout method. It expands your lung capacity. But ensure that you select pool facilities which are clean and don’t have chloramines as it can trigger breathing problems.  
• Yoga: Gentle stretching and breath work with yoga can particularly help your chest muscles and respiratory tract. Additionally, it strengthens your whole body. 
• Walking: A quick walk in the fresh air is beneficial to open your airways and help you breathe easily.