$Unique_ID{BRK01304} $Pretitle{} $Title{Can Exercise Help Correct Breathlessness?} $Subject{breathless winded exercise respiratory system athletic endurance oxygen athletic heart lungs wind pulmonary systems lung breath breathe breathing exercises exercising activity activities} $Volume{H-5} $Log{Exercise Strengthens the Heart*0003202.scf Exercise Increases Lung Capacity*0003206.scf} Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc. Can Exercise Help Correct Breathlessness? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ QUESTION: Our apartment requires us to climb a single flight of steps. They are not overly steep, but as time has gone past, my husband has had more trouble reaching the top without being a bit breathless. His doctor has found nothing physically wrong, and claims that it is normal with advancing age. But some of our more athletic friends have no difficulty whatsoever. Does this mean that my spouse should get off his butt and begin moving it a bit? Can exercise help even at his age (he is 69)? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ANSWER: It may well indeed indicate that a bit of exercise can correct the problem, at any age. It is true that it is felt that with increasing age, endurance and the ability to utilize our oxygen intake may diminish, but with ever increasing numbers of citizens making it into the retirement years, new studies have shown that a bit of regular exercise can slow down the losses previously thought to be inevitable. There is a bit of a mental block though for many people who have not indulged in athletics during or through their lifetime, a block that fails to consider that a brisk walk may be all that is needed to get on the right "track" (I just couldn't resist the pun). It doesn't require participation in an athletic sport, but merely a regularly scheduled activity that gets the heart to beating a bit more rapidly than usual, and a duration of 30 minutes or better. You may be the key to the solution if you are inclined to accompany your "spouse," for it is much more rewarding and fun when done with someelse along. Start a diary, and keep track of the time spent each week in your exercise walk. You can plan walks into new areas, making it a bit of an adventure, or include it as part of other routine activities, such as food shopping. Besides the benefit to heart and lungs, these extra activities can burn extra calories, and either help shed unneeded extra weight, or keep off unwanted pounds. You see, it isn't "exercise" that seems to be the needed solution here, but a bit of extra physical "activity". Once you embrace that philosophy, you will many ways of adding a little extra healthful occupations that help get the "wind" back into older lungs. ---------------- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.