A recent study has found that incorporating yoga and breath control techniques into aerobic training can significantly improve lung function in individuals with asthma. This research highlights the importance of including appropriate exercise methods in asthma management strategies.
The study also demonstrates the effectiveness of certain types of exercise in enhancing lung function for individuals with asthma. Specifically, breath training combined with yoga and aerobic training appears to be particularly beneficial in providing additional options for effective treatment strategies.
However, it is important to note that larger, randomized controlled studies are needed to further assess the benefits of exercise for people with asthma.
Asthma is a chronic lung disorder that affects approximately 339 million individuals worldwide. Common symptoms include chest tightness, shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing.
In the past, exercise was considered a potential risk factor for individuals with asthma, as it was believed to induce or worsen acute asthma attacks. However, other research has shown that exercise can actually improve respiratory function and exercise capacity. The variability in exercise treatments in previous studies has made it challenging to compare the effectiveness of different rehabilitation plans.
To address this issue, researchers conducted a meta-analysis, which allowed them to simultaneously analyze the results from multiple studies to assess the impact of various types of exercises on lung function in individuals with asthma.
The analysis included a total of 28 studies involving 2,155 asthmatic individuals. The researchers examined the effects of yoga training, relaxation training, aerobic training, breath training, and a combination of breath training and aerobic training on lung function.
All five types of exercise treatments were found to be more effective in improving lung function measurements compared to the control group that received conventional rehabilitation. Specifically:
– Yoga training, relaxation training, aerobic training, breath training, and breathing combined with aerobic training resulted in improvements in Forced Expiratory Volume levels and Peak Expiratory Flow.
– Yoga training, breath training, aerobic training, and breathing combined with aerobic training improved Forced Vital Capacity levels.
– Yoga training, aerobic training, and breath training improved the Forced Expiratory Volume/Forced Vital Capacity ratio.
The researchers also used statistical methods to rank the impact of different exercise interventions against each other. They found that relaxation training had the most significant impact on improving Forced Expiratory Volume levels, breath training combined with aerobic exercise had the most significant impact on improving Forced Vital Capacity levels, and yoga training had the most significant impact on improving Peak Expiratory Flow levels.
It is important to note that certain limitations of the study may have influenced the results. These limitations include inherent variability between the included studies and inconsistencies in exercise frequency and intensity. Additionally, the majority of participants in the study were younger than 60 years old, so exercise interventions may produce different responses in older individuals.
In conclusion, this study highlights the importance of incorporating suitable exercise training methods into asthma management strategies. Yoga and breath control techniques, when combined with aerobic training, can significantly improve lung function in individuals with asthma. However, further research is needed to fully understand the benefits of exercise for people with asthma.
