At the age of 36 I was diagnosed with exercise induced asthma.   I was living a healthy lifestyle, exercising and teaching daily aerobics classes.  It didn’t make sense to me that I would be afflicted with this condition.  I referred myself to an asthma and allergy specialist who was able to control my condition with medication.  I was very grateful because I was worried that I would have to stop teaching and exercising altogether.  My mom also had asthma which wasn’t well controlled.  She was prednisone dependent and I did not want to end up like that.  Winters were miserable because cold air was a trigger for my asthma.  If exposed to people with upper respiratory infections or viruses and I got it, my asthma intensified the illness and my recovery took weeks.

Asthma is chronic disease of the lungs.  The airways of people with asthma are always inflamed.  It has two different classifications- allergic asthma and non-allergic asthma.   Allergic asthma is considered an autoimmune disease while non-allergic asthma is not an autoimmune disease.  I had allergic asthma.  I am allergic to dogs, which I love, and cats, which I don’t.  Strong perfumes or cigarette smoke would always set my asthma off. I am allergic to grasses of all kinds.  For the most part I gave up running outdoors because of the allergens I would encounter.   It just wasn’t worth it even though I love being outside in the fresh air and sunshine.

A couple of years after my diagnosis I started Pilates.  Its emphasis on breath was difficult for me in the beginning.  I could not do Hundreds without coughing through the exercise.  I felt constricted and breathless when flexed up into the starting position, so an already challenging exercise was more so for me.  Breathing into the posterior and lateral aspects of my lungs well was extremely difficult so my shoulders were elevated which is a compensatory pattern in respiration.  I also had to shorten the number of inhalations and exhalations, 5 breaths in and 5 breaths out were not possible for me at first.   It took time, but eventually I started to learn the mechanics of a proper breath cycle.  It is possible to direct the breath into different parts of the body.  With asthma it is not a matter of getting oxygen in, but of exhaling adequately so you can inhale.   So, learning to exhale completely was a skill I had to learn as well as connecting my body to my breath and making it a conscious action instead of an automatic reflex.  Improved breathing has benefited every aspect of my life.

Today I am healthier and stronger because I am able to better oxygenate my muscles and oxygen is the primary fuel for many of our muscles.   I can exercise longer and harder because my breath patterns are so improved and I don’t fatigue as quickly.  Struggling for air is a thing of the past and dependence on inhalers is negligible.  I contribute all of this to Pilates and a dedication to making movement a part of my daily routine.