I can breathe freely now

My asthma doctor asked me, “Why didn't you go straight to the emergency room?” Then, on the spot, he called my cardiologist to discuss whether or not I might have had a possible silent heart attack or have heart disease. 

My pulse and blood pressure were high, and my oxygen saturation level was 82. My forced expiratory volume (FEV- a measure of how much air a person can exhale) was registering about 40 percent of what should be my normal level. 

Subsequent tests revealed I did not have heart disease; however, my blood pressure was higher than normal, and I had gained weight. How did I get to that state? I had a respiratory infection that I did not attend to. Also, I had months of inactivity due a ruptured Achilles tendon that lead to other ailments followed by even more inactivity. 

While much of my problem was temporary (the infection eventually cleared up), I was slowing degrading my cardio-respiratory system and I was informed that I would develop heart disease if I did not make changes. 

People face far greater respiratory challenges; I was fortunate that my problems were fixable. It is possible to increase your lungs’ capacity to exhale - sprint training increases FEV of asthma sufferers.  I began sprint training on a stationary bike every week, and I returned to regularly strength training once a week (The type of strength training we do at our Austin strength training facility puts great demand on the cardio-respiratory system). That hour a week of seriously strenuous exercise made a life-changing difference for me.

A few months later I returned to my doctors. While FEV does decline as we age, my asthma doctor found it “remarkable” (his word) that my FEV reading was the highest I had registered in 12 years.  To restate: I was breathing better now than when I was 12 years younger.  I passed the stress test given by my cardiologist.  Both doctors gave me a clean bill of health. 

A compromised respiratory system, untreated high blood pressure, and heart disease are mortality risk factors. You can increase your odds for survival by taking steps to avoid those risk factors.

There is no way of knowing how you will fair if you contract the flu or coronavirus. Breathing freely and being strong (strength training builds a robust immune system) can help you increase your odds of survival, but more importantly, take the recommended precautions to avoid contracting these sicknesses altogether. 

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Doctor says asthmatic's improvement using high intensity interval training is remarkable

I am an asthmatic prone to bronchitis and debilitating migraines induced by sinusitis.

A year and half ago I got pneumonia, chronic bronchitis, and my asthma flared up and stay flared.  I was weeks using a nebulizer to get the asthma under control.  

My oxygen consumption level was in the low 80 percent range.  My heart had to work harder to get the oxygen I needed. As a result my blood pressure rose, and my resting pulse was twenty beats per minute higher. I was listless and constantly tired. 

Forced expiratory volume (FEV) measures how much air a person can exhale during a forced breath.  My FEV test was one long wheeze.  I was a mess.

My oxygen consumption level is now in the high nineties, where it should be.   My blood pressure and resting pulse are the lowest they have been in decades, and I am 35 pounds lighter (that comes from diet).

My FEV measurement is now above average for my age with asthma, above average for my age without asthma, and my doctor says it is the highest it has been in 10 years. I asked him how he would characterize that result. He said, “Remarkable”.

For more than a year now I have been doing high intensity interval sprint training (HIIT) on a bike twice a week along with a weekly 22-24 minute high intensity interval strength training session. When I first started doing the eight sprints it took me 29 minutes to complete, and it was very difficult.  I would not start the next sprint until my pulse returned to a specified reasonable rate.  It now takes me 19 minutes - same exact protocol, same difficulty level, and the same RPMs – and it is a comparative breeze.

In total, factoring out sick times, vacations, and life in general it comes to about 48 hours of exercise in a year. 

Is there a study showing improvement for other asthmatics doing high intensity interval training?  Yes - the effect of interval training in children with exercise-induced asthma competing in soccer.

Is there a personal training facility specializing in HIIT using bikes and strength training? Yes - our Austin Personal Trainers facility!