Asthma and Exercise

From Mike:
Breath heaving, or straining to breathe during the final moments of a long-distance race or the entire time during a sprint causes the breathing coordination "lock up." The accessory breathing muscles that ordinarily support the breath become overactive and actually get in the way of an easy full deep breath. Sort of like having ten people hold your hand while you try to sign your name. There are two people that work on these muscles and integrate techniques to improve breathing coordination that I know only of myself in North Carolina.

Seems to disappear when I lay in bed. What is it and how can I get rid of it?

From Mike:
Exercise-induced asthma comes along with precursors of a subtle, sometimes undetectable, constricted chest and poor breathing coordination. Get the Rapid Breathing Improvement program

When Olympic swimming champion Amy Van Dyken races in the 50-meter freestyle event, she doesn't breathe.

"I take one breath, and I'm gone."

Van Dyken holds the record for the most gold medals won by an American woman at a single Olympics -- four.

But even when she's not competing, her breathing is still a critical concern. Van Dyken has asthma, a chronic inflammatory disorder that constricts the muscles of the bronchial airways, making every breath a struggle.

"I was diagnosed when I was 18 months," says Van Dyken. "Asthma has pretty much defined my entire life. But I wouldn't be who I am without it."

From Mike:
Same attitude as most AA 12-step members. Sad but true. WE can REDEFINE ourselves.

I want people to know that you can have asthma and still live normally, even be a professional athlete."

From Mike:
She's on the maximum regimen recommended for asthma maintenance." That means three or four different medications a day -- every day. Can we be ourselves using drugs every day and still be "healthy normal"? The drug industry would sure like that. I seriously doubt that most drugs and healthy normal are compatible.