Exercise/Breathing question

[Hinata]

So I've decided to go for like a morning run just about every morning now. I started it up today but I noticed something. See, I've got like some of the worst allergies in the world and as a result of them, all the mucus has settled into my lungs. I got done with the run and for like another hour or so afterwards, felt like I was hacking up everything in my lung including the lung itself.

Does anyone know a better way of breaking it up so I don't die?

[CynanMachae]

Well, running is very healthy... I don't know much about allergies, though. Did you start hacking because you were running, or outside? If the latter, you could become a member at a gym or something...

Or buy a treadmill, if you have the money. But don't stop running. It's good for you, despite what your removed lung might tell you.

[Child of Immanuel]

I used to get a runny nose whenever I ran, but allergy medications seemed to cure me.

[Hinata]

It's from the flem inside my lungs. And I'm majorily afraid of taking allergy medication because I want to participate in the world and not be passed out. Most of the medication I've ever taken has caused me to pass out.

[Gwalchmai]

I'm sure a lot of it has to do with the season really.

I would suggest not pushing your lungs quite so much right now so i would break up the run into segments and run a portion and walk a portion. The most important part is to stay moving, and then over time, increase the amount of run time and decrease the walk time, but I wouldn't start to increase the running till 1-2 weeks of your starting run/walk.

Also, don't run everyday. You need to give your muscles time to rechanrge themselves. A nice system a friend of mine taught me is to mix up the work outs so maybe 3 days is running, then 2 are upper body workouts and another 2 of yoga mixed up throughout the week. That way you are constantly exercising but not to the point of over exchaustion.

[Tegid]

Gwalchmai, I'm also wondering how much of that might be seasonal. During that oh-so-brief time of year when it's cool enough not to be so humid, I'll cough and wheeze and carry on for a good while after a run. If I cover at least my mouth with a scarf or some such thing while running, it helps keep my air passages from drying out so much. (Yeah, I then can't breathe so well while running; it's a trade-off, but I sure don't want all the coughing afterwards.) And, Hinata, you are in a dry climate ...

[Hinata]

What's the deal with pointing out the dry climate? I grew up in a dry climate. . .doesn't make that big of a difference to me. . .

It may be seasonal, but my problem is that I'm allergic to most of outside so seasonal or not, this may be an ongoing thing for me if I don't get it cleared out soon.

Also, I picked running because. . .well, I'm poor. . .running is something I can do for free. I'd love to be able to go play racquetball or something like that as well but right now I don't have the racquets or the balls. . .I have to borrow them from my dad again. . .

I'm also not running the whole thing. I can't, I'd die if I tried to do that. But I am trying to work my way more towards the running side and less towards the walking side.

I do have one thing to say though. . .I started this morning and I already can feel a difference. It's like my lungs found new places to put air. Very refreshing for only one day thus far.

[Tegid]

hinata said:

What's the deal with pointing out the dry climate? I grew up in a dry climate. . .

Simply because growing up in a dry climate and running in a dry climate are two different things.

[Hinata]

Well. . . I had to do gym in school when I was growing up. . .that required running.. .

[Tegid]

Hinata, all of my advice comes with a money-back guarantee, less shipping charges.

If you were running back then, as long and as fast as you did this morning, without the adverse effects afterwards that you had this morning, then perhaps my recommendation that you take steps somehow to breathe moister air while running is not for you. Please fill out the refund request in triplicate and mail to the address on the back of the form, and your check should be in the mail in six to eight weeks.

In the meantime, I'm running a special on some other sage bits, such as, "If you have allergies, you sure don't want to live where I do." And, perhaps more subtle, "Don't throw bricks straight up into the air and stand there watching them."

[Hinata]

Don't throw bricks? Well, there goes my master plan. . .

In any case, Day 2 of this idea of mine. . .Got up and ran again this morning and I'm doing a lot better. It was a little hard breathing while running since I'm so out of shape, but I'm not having the beautiful visit of flem. Perhaps I just had to get it all out of my lungs

[twyrch]

Yeah, your body probably just had get accustomed to this new activity.

As far as allergy medication, though, I'd get a decongestant which is non-drowsy and lasts for 24 hours... that helps me.

[dgan]

Phlegm is your lungs' version of boogers. It is supposed to be there to catch bacteria and small particles before they harm your lungs. The problem is after a period of inactivity, the "used" phlegm is never discharged from the body. Kind of like having boogers in your lungs.

The problem, of course, is you can't pick your lungs like you can your nose...not that I do...I mean not that you do. Anyway, so anytime you pick up physical activity that causes the lungs to expand and do more work in general, it helps to discharge that junk. Even if you take a handful of days off, you'll find your first time back will often result in irritation of the lungs. Especially in your dry climate when the body has to produce more phlegm.

I would say give it a week or two. Also, stretching while lying on your back is a great way to prevent phlegm buildup.

Signed: The Sinus Faucet

[Hinata]

stretching on your back. . . that's a good idea. . .I'll have to try that.