DON’T LET ALLERGIES RUin YOUR FITNESS GOALS

For allergy sufferers, it’s the same old story every year. Just as the cold, dark days are over and you’re ready to get outdoors and work off that winter weight, your plans go from easy and breezy to wheezy and sneezy. But why let seasonal allergies bury your fitness goals in a pile of tissues?

Regular exercise is the key to maintaining health, fitness and and overall well-being. And that’s true for the millions of allergy sufferers, too. Yours may be seasonal - caused by the outdoor, airborne, “hay fever” type of allergens. Or they may be the indoor variety brought on by mold, house dust mites or pet dander. Or it may be an exercise-induced asthma. Whichever it is, a bellicon® can help to keep you moving.

Unlike heavy fitness equipment, the bellicon® is portable enough to carry indoors or out. So you can take your full-body workout where your mood leads or wherever the air quality is best - and simply leave your allergies behind.

The bellicon is also weather resistant. Our mats aren’t affected by harmful UV rays, so the bellicon® lets you enjoy your place in the sun. What’s more, the synthetic rubber in our bungees is not only safe for people with latex allergies, it’s also more elastic, more durable and easier to recycle than natural rubber.

Best of all, a report by the U.S. National Institute of Health shows that the kind of regular aerobic exercise you get on a bellicon® can even help to alleviate some allergy and asthma symptoms.

Why wait?

One of the most common allergies to strike during a workout is exercise- induced asthma (EIA). This happens when the increased breathing rate during exercise dries out the moist lining of the lungs. The result is coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath.

If you suffer from this condition, being able to move your mini trampoline indoors when the weather is colder and drier – conditions likely to aggravate your symptoms – can be a big help.

Since exercise-induced asthma usually takes about 8 to 10 minutes to develop, another option is to divide workouts into 10 minute segments and do them throughout the day. You can get a full day’s workout a bit at a time by using your bellicon for fun, energizing “health breaks” between your other activities. This way you can still get a full workout in invigorating, bite-sized chunks that’ll keep you energized between your other daily activities.

Local news and Internet weather forecasts provide daily pollen counts for your area. They will also warn you about unhealthy levels of air pollutants, which affect breathing and aggravate the effects of airborne allergens. 

If you know that your allergies are active, consider taking your allergy medication prior to outdoor exercise so you can avoid symptoms before they begin. Toughing it out with allergy problems isn’t a good idea and can lead to potentially dangerous situations, especially if it affects your breathing. If you use a rescue inhaler, make sure it’s handy whenever you exercise during allergy season or near allergy triggers.

The more vigorous your exercise, the faster you breathe and the more pollen and other irritants are exposed to your lungs, eyes and nasal cavities. Beginning your workout with a gentle warmup lets you gauge how bad your allergies are and adjust accordingly. Adding warmups and a cool downs to your workout not only makes the onset of allergic reactions more tolerable, it’s better for your heart, muscles and joints as well.

Don’t let pollen or other airborne irritants keep you from exercising when all you have to do is move to a better environment. If airborne allergens are bothering you, just head indoors. Or if your allergies are aggravated by mold, dust or pet hair, take your routine out into the fresh air. If you suffer from allergies, it’s always best to consult your doctor about which exercise program is best suited to your needs.

Don’t let allergies get in your way. Take control of your health and fitness with a bellicon®.