You CAN Stay Fit with Asthma

But go slowly, at least at the beginning. When Rebecca Sorrell started training, she began by alternating 15 seconds of jogging with five minutes of walking. "My endurance built up over time," she remembers. "Listen to your body," she suggests. If you have symptoms while exercising, stop and address them, says Dr. Nazarian. Then, "as soon as you feel better, you can start right up again."

After each exercise session, cool down by taking 10 minutes to gradually reduce your level of activity, concluding with stretching. During this time, your lungs will adjust to changes in temperature, and that can help you to avoid a flare-up in your asthma. Keep your doctor updated if you have ongoing problems with your symptoms during or after exercise.

Years ago, the accepted wisdom was that people with asthma could not or should not exercise. Now we know that exercise improves overall fitness. "It's a good idea for everybody to exercise," stresses Dr. Nazarian. And women with asthma, from Olympic track star Jackie Joyner-Kersee to Rebecca Sorrell, can tell you: It's worth the effort.

Not only do you gain more energy, reduce stress, and feel better about yourself—which can help you be a better mother—you'll be modeling healthy lifestyle habits for your children, especially if they have asthma too.

Rebecca reports that her asthma is "much better" since she began running and calls the improvement in her health "incredible." She completed her first marathon at the age of 47, and she's still running strong. Looking back on her days before exercise, Rebecca muses, "I was as out of shape as they come, clinically obese, and the furthest I'd ever run was from the couch to the refrigerator. If I can do it, anybody can do it!"