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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