Vim & Vigor - Spring 2013 - North Mississippi - (Page 32)

Embarrassment aside, she’s doing an excellent job of conditioning her lungs. And she’s pushing past the ﬁrst eight minutes—the hardest part for someone with asthma. “She’s doing everything right,” Adams says. “That longer warm-up gets you through that initial tightness that comes to everyone with asthma when they start exercising. Then that second wind comes. In the long run, exercise is going to make you healthier and even decrease your asthma.” Take a cue from Keaton and warm up with stretches or a light jog. Incorporate yoga to regulate breathing. And most importantly, exercise for 20 minutes three times a week to condition your body. “Studies actually have shown that if you’re in top shape, you have less need for medicine if you’re asthmatic, and you have fewer attacks,” Adams says. “This is deﬁnitely related to conditioning.” Some patients are sensitive to outdoor pollutants, allergens and cold air. If that’s your case, exercise indoors or wrap a scarf around your mouth to warm the air as you breathe. STRESS LESS, BREATHE MORE n The Lemon Sisters, cats weren’t the only trigger for Keaton’s character. Stress pushed her over the edge. It’s a common scenario, Adams says. “Asthma at some points was looked upon as a hysterical reaction, and people were often dismissed that way, and obviously that was dead wrong,” he says. “But we do know stress can be as much of an asthma trigger as walking into a room with a cat if you’re allergic to cat dander.” 32 SPRING 2 013 Why are stress and asthma entwined? Picture the rich network of nerves running through your lungs and bronchial tubes. When you are stressed, nerve impulses can trigger an asthma attack, much like a muscle twitch or cramp. Keaton is remarkably open about the stresses in her own life, from struggling with bulimia as a ﬂedgling actress in New York to losing her mother to Alzheimer’s disease ﬁve years ago. Watching her mom ﬁght to breathe at the end of her life struck a chord. “Having had asthma, I knew how hard it was to work for so little air,” Keaton writes.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Spring 2013 - North Mississippi

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2013 - North Mississippi
Contents
Opening Thoughts
Brain Power
No Bones About It
You're the Star
Heart-to-Heart
Lighten Up!
Have No Fear
Work It!
What Are the Chances?
9 Symptoms Never to Ignore
When Allergies Attack
Virtual Health
Botox: A New Miracle Drug?
The Doctor Will See You Now
Catch the Spirit

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2013 - North Mississippi