Asthma and breath-training: how does RMT help? PART 2/2

May 9, 2022

While the Airofit breathing trainer might assist with respiratory issues, Airofit is not a medical device nor made for treating illness.

In a previous post, we looked at how respiratory muscle training (RMT) made a significant difference for people living with asthma.

We’ve also seen how Alex Wallace, a competitive cyclist with Bikestrong KTM, benefitted from regular RMT with Airofit, improving his performance and reducing asthma symptoms during demanding physical activity.

In this post, we’ll take a further look at the challenges of asthma in sports and everyday life. Asthma is surprisingly common among active people involved in sports and fitness. Some may have had asthma from childhood, while others developed it later in life. And one of the triggers for asthma attacks is often physical activity, which can lead to people becoming less active and not being able to enjoy life to the full.

So, what does RMT offer to sports people and anyone dealing with asthma? We spoke with another active sports competitor who finds training with Airofit helps to minimize the impacts of asthma on his performance and quality of life.

Glenn Cunningham’s story

Glenn is a late-middle-aged guy with a passion for ice hockey. But asthma had always been an obstacle to getting the most out of his favorite sport. We asked him about his experience of asthma and how it affected his game.

“My asthma was diagnosed as sports-induced; I’ve had it all my life. Breathing was often very labored, difficult to get a proper amount of breath, lungs always on fire.

As an Ice hockey player, I always used an inhaler but decided to try Airofit and – this is huge for me – my symptoms are gone while I’m playing. I don’t need the inhaler!

Within 2 weeks of using Airofit I noticed, wow – my lungs are not making the wheezing sounds that they usually do. When we’re done after a game (2 hours), I’d be exhausted. Not anymore – I’m not tired afterwards. My concentration is better, and my sleep is better too.

I notice the difference, and my teammates can see it too, in the way I play – my breathing is so important, it’s critical to be successful. I’m able to keep up and compete with guys who could be my grandkids. The only thing I changed is to start using Airofit, it’s made a huge difference to me.”

What about other breathing devices?

“Before I bought Airofit, I bought a different breathing device. It was OK, but I’m a very visual person – being able to see & monitor everything on my phone is great – I need to track my progress – to see that I am better than the week before.”

And how about the app?

“I’m easily distracted, but I won’t forget to use Airofit during the month – I like the idea that it’s on my phone, easily accessible, look through programs, chart levels – the line going up/down – all of that is motivating. I’m very competitive, want to get better every day.

I do the Lung test – in the morning when I get up and use control & flexibility & depth & foundation programs.

No one teaches you how to breathe, you just do it, but it never gives me enough oxygen – I feel like Airofit is teaching me how to breathe again.”

Changing the game

Like many people, Glenn hadn’t been aware that there were new tech-based solutions to improving and managing asthma symptoms. But finding Airofit was clearly a game-changer for him, and we hope that lots more people with asthma will also experience the benefits of respiratory muscle training for themselves.

With pollution levels exacerbating breathing problems in many parts of the world, the demand for effective solutions has never been greater. There is clearly a need to improve access to healthcare and medications in poorer communities, a goal that several non-profit organizations work hard to achieve.

Breathwork techniques may also be beneficial, and there are lots of free resources online with tips and advice on how to live better with asthma.

For people like Glenn, cutting-edge technologies like Airofit can make a significant difference, and, with the future launch of a new health-focused addition to the Airofit family, we’ll be able to offer an even more refined solution for people living with medical conditions that affect the lungs.