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Asthma and Exercise

Exercise can make some children’s asthma worse. There are things your child can do to minimize asthma symptoms:

• Make sure your child is taking regular asthma controller medicines.
• Make sure your child warms up before and cools off after exercise.
• Your doctor may tell your child to take a reliever medicine 15 to 20 minutes before exercising. This will help to prevent asthma symptoms.
• If your child has asthma symptoms during exercise, he should take breaks and exercise for short periods.
• If your child has severe asthma symptoms, such as coughing and wheezing, he should stop exercising and follow his asthma action plan.
• Your child should wear a scarf to cover the nose and mouth when exercising outdoors in cold weather.
• Some children should not exercise outdoors when it is very hot or humid, or when the air pollution or pollen index is high.
• Your child should not exercise outdoors when it is very hot or humid, or when the air pollution or pollen index is high.
• Remember your child’s airway may be swollen and inflamed after an asthma episode. Give your child time to return to normal before starting exercise again.