Hi c/Running,

I would like some advice on how to overcome/circumvent asthma-induced pain, while running.

I’m an avid runner, but I struggle with asthma for which I do take well-adjusted medication. I have difficulty running more than a couple minutes at a time. Whenever I start running, my lungs quickly begin to hurt (it’s not my sides, my muscles could do so much more, but it’s actually my lungs hurting), the pain becoming so bad, that I have to pause for more than five minutes after just two, three minutes of running. It takes between 20 to 30 minutes of this stop-and-go to finally “acclimate” myself enough to be able to run normally. As you can imagine, this can get very annoying and frustrating and makes running with a group nearly impossible.

On a side-note: When I am running outside, I experience this no matter which season it is or where I am running (forest, urban, field), but when I am running on a treadmill at the gym, I usually don’t experience it so severely. Maybe something with the AC?

  1. Do You have similar experiences and can You share what helped you?

  2. What can I do to reduce the time it takes me to start-up?

  3. What can I do to have no/less asthma-induced pain, when starting to run?

  4. What kind of training schedule would you recommend for people with asthma? Are normal training schedules just stretched out regarding the increases in intensity over time or do I need a completely different approach?

Thank You for any advice on the matter!

  • @ArxirOP
    2•1 year ago

    I am sorry, I forgot to specify that the pain comes from breathing. It’s not making breathing difficult enough to make me stop running because of that, it really is more the pain from breathing that makes me stop. And I do not experience pain, when holding my breath and running.

    Since I have asthma, it’s the first culprit to suspect, but you are right, I should talk with a health professional about this. It just seemed so normal to me by now, that I didn’t consider it a health issue and more a nuisance.

    Thank you for your input and making me realize that this might not be normal despite having asthma!

    • @[email protected]
      3•1 year ago

      I also have asthma and have run and played sport for many years with it. It’s quite likely my asthma is milder than yours, but still I have to agree that this sounds like no asthma attack or sensation I have ever experienced. Asthma for me is like a warm, itchy crawling feeling up through my chest and neck. I can feel my breathing being restricted in my upper chest as I suck in air, and hear the wheezing intensifying. There has never been any pain, though. I think speaking to a qualified medical professional is definitely a good idea before you try anything else.