Improving lung capacity in an asthmatic

Odysseus1

Odysseus1

New member
First of all, I am an asthmatic woman of 28. I am desperate to be able to run.

I've been working on developing this ability through a sort of couch-to-5k program where I run at intervals with walking. I'm now at the stage where I could physically run for longer (my body isn't aching - too badly!) but my lung capacity is making it impossible to get past 2 minutes running.

I have a steroid preventative inhaler, and another as-it's-needed type, but what I really need to be able to do is slowly increase my lung capacity. Does anyone have any ideas how I could do this?
 
I am also an asthmatic, while growing up I was forced to do a lot of swimming to improve my lung capacity, I hated it but swimming is a great exercise for building that capacity.
 
I was worried someone would suggest that! I had considered swimming as I too had heard about how fab it is for improving lung capacity... but I can't swim! Never learned. Also, at 265lbs I'm not sure I've got the cajones to get into a swimming costume! Is there anything else which I could do?
 
it can be done with running, but it takes a lot of time depending on how bad your asthma is. I can ride for ages on a bike but it doesn't seem to hit the lungs as much as running.
 
I know one thing for sure, losing fat will improve lung capacity because it reduces the visceral (internal) fat in the body. When that fat is padding the organs especially the lungs, it greatly reduces the ability of the lungs to fully expand.

This I speak from experience as cycling is my thing, when I first began at 190 pounds, on training rides I just couldn't take in enough air. Now 35 pounds lighter, I feel the lungs expanding a lot more and on hard efforts where I previously ran out of breath, I have a reserve of air now.

But you have to reduce that dangerous internal fat a lot. Google VISCERAL FAT.

knotty
 
@Trusylver - You're absolutely right about that. I feel like I could cycle and row for 20 minutes with no problem, and I really hope one day to be able to run like that. It's weird, isn't it? I wonder what it is about running which makes it such a lung cruncher...

@knotty - This is excellent advice, and something I'd never heard of. I'm in a Google rabbit-hole now, learning all the time. Thanks so much!
 
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