Scientists have pointed out the benefits of walking for asthma
Regular walking can help people with asthma control the disease as well as regular exercise. This conclusion was reached by scientists from the University of Sao Paulo, who compared two strategies for increasing physical activity. The study involved people with moderate and severe forms of the disease. About how daily steps can affect the course of asthma, see the Izvestia article.
Walking was compared to exercise
The study was conducted by specialists from the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil in collaboration with the Pulmonology department of the Heart Institute at the University Hospital. The researchers wanted to find out whether increasing regular physical activity in daily life would be as effective for asthma control as specially organized aerobic training. The results are published in the scientific journal Pulmonology.
In total, the researchers initially invited 480 patients, but after the selection, 52 people participated in the study. All of them were between the ages of 18 and 65, had moderate or severe uncontrolled asthma, and led an insufficiently active lifestyle — less than 150 minutes of moderate or intense physical activity per week. The participants were also treated for at least six months, had no exacerbations of the disease during the previous 30 days, and did not smoke.
Before starting the experiment, all the volunteers underwent an educational lesson where they were told about asthma, the proper use of medications, and the importance of physical activity. Then the participants were randomly divided into two groups: the first group worked out on a treadmill twice a week for 45 minutes under the supervision of specialists. The second met with researchers once a week, received recommendations on increasing activity and set goals for the number of steps, tracking them using a smartwatch.
Both programs lasted eight weeks. The researchers then assessed the condition of the participants immediately after completing the program and again four months later. During the follow-up, they took into account physical activity, asthma control, quality of life, as well as symptoms of anxiety and depression.
More steps helped to control the disease
The results were comparable for both groups. Both aerobic training and increasing the number of daily steps helped participants better control asthma and reduced the severity of respiratory symptoms. The positive changes persisted four months after the end of the eight-week programs.
Participants also reported improved quality of life and reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression. At the same time, neither of the two strategies has demonstrated a clear advantage over the other. That is, structured training under the supervision of specialists in the framework of this study did not prove to be more effective than a program aimed at increasing normal daily activity.
The difference was also noticeable in the number of steps. After eight weeks, participants in the aerobic training group walked an average of 1,537 more steps per day than before the study began. After four months, the increase dropped to 983 steps. In the group that increased daily activity, the indicator increased by 1,126 steps immediately after the program, and after four months remained above the baseline by 996 steps per day.
David Halen Araujo Pinheiro, physiotherapist at the University of Sao Paulo Medical School
Both treatments are beneficial for patients and provide better clinical control of the disease. And, judging by our results, none of the strategies outperformed the other. However, aerobic training requires more equipment and should be conducted under supervision. On the other hand, simply walking, by increasing the number of steps per day, helps patients control their condition and receive other benefits such as improved quality of life and reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Thus, the effect of both programs partially persisted even after the organized classes ended. Moreover, after four months, participants in the group focused on daily walking took slightly more extra steps on average than people who were engaged in aerobic training.
Why daily activity turned out to be important
According to the authors, one of the advantages of the behavioral approach is its accessibility. Aerobic training requires equipment and regular monitoring by a specialist, while increasing the number of steps can be integrated into a regular daily routine. That is why such a strategy could potentially be more convenient for people who find it difficult to attend regular sports classes.
After completing the experiment, the researchers did not give the participants any additional tasks, and four months later they assessed their condition again. Many people from the aerobic training group said that they continued to work out on their own and enrolled in gyms. The participants in the behavioral group mostly continued to walk as part of their daily routine.
However, not everyone was able to fully maintain the previous level of activity. Among the reasons for stopping walking, the participants mentioned, among other things, a change in the weather. The researchers note that this factor may affect people's ability to maintain the habit of regular physical activity in the long term.
The scientists also refer to the results of their previous work. Then they found that patients with asthma who walked about 7.5 thousand steps per day had better clinical control of the disease. However, the current study does not establish a universal rate of steps for all patients, but rather compares two strategies for increasing physical activity.
Walking is not a substitute for medication
The authors of the study emphasize that physical activity in this case is considered as an addition to the main treatment. Participants continued to take prescribed medications in accordance with the recommendations of the Global Asthma Initiative, and the researchers did not suggest replacing drug therapy with exercise or walking.
The results show that for people with moderate to severe asthma, increasing daily activity may be one of the available ways to supplement treatment. However, the study does not prove that walking alone can replace specialized programs or medications.
The main conclusion of the work is that for asthma control, it may be important not so much a specific form of physical activity as the ability to regularly maintain a sufficient level of activity. In an environment where structured workouts are not suitable for everyone, a simpler strategy of increasing the number of daily steps may be an alternative option.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
