Alternative Therapies

Certain breathing exercises can reduce the need to use rescue inhalers in asthma patients. Just 10 minutes before beginning to exercise take few puffs from your rescue inhaler.

• Sit upright and breathe slowly. Take full breaths. Avoid taking short breaths.
• Always breathe through your nose.
• Use your diaphragm muscles instead of your chest muscles to breathe. It will make breathing less tiresome. Breathing using diaphragm muscles is also called belly breathing.  Here is an easy way to practice belly breathing:
  Sit upright and rest the palm of your one hand on the belly and the other on the chest. Take deep breaths. If the hand on your belly is pushed forward, then you are using your diaphragm muscles. And if you are using your chest muscles, then the hand on your chest will move forward. Practice this several times in a day. This type of breathing will improve the strength of your diaphragm muscles.
• Practice few rounds of prolonged breathing. Breathe in for two counts and breathe out for four counts.

Light physical activities along with these breathing exercises will help asthma patients to increase the potential of their respiratory system. But it is advised to consult your doctor before starting an exercise program.