Inhaler
- Check with your GP or asthma nurse for any limits or precautions you should be aware of before your child starts to exercise. If their asthma is well controlled there should be no reason why they can’t exercise.
- If they have had exercise induced asthma in the past, they may be reluctant to try exercise again. Check with your GP or asthma nurse which exercises and activities would be best to start with.
- Get your child ready by making sure they take inhalers before you exercise if this has been advised by your asthma team and take their reliever inhaler with them. They should take their preventer inhaler as prescribed.
- Take extra care if they are recovering from an infection or attack.
- Don’t do exercise immediately after food or for 2 hours after a big meal.
- Get them to take a bottle of water and a mobile phone (if they are old enough) with them if they are going outdoors.
- If they are going to an exercise class, make sure they tell the instructor that they have asthma and that they may need to stop and rest. Show the instructor their asthma plan if they have one.
- Start gently and build up gradually. Children should aim for 60 minutes of exercise every day. To start with they don’t have to do this all at once.
- Plan exercise into their daily life. Try to encourage them to choose exercise which they enjoy and add some variety if you can.
Remember
Take your reliever inhaler with you.
