Comparative Efficacy of Aerobic and Resisted Exercises on the Quality of Life and Asthma Control of Individuals with Asthma

Abstract

Background: Asthma symptoms cause reduction in patient’s activities of daily living and worsen their quality of life with lower scores being found in individuals experiencing low asthma control. After pharmacological means of managing asthma was introduced, interest in non-pharmacological means such as exercises declined; although little is known regarding the effect of different types of exercises on the quality of life and cardiopulmonary functions of asthmatic patients. Objective: This study was designed to compare the effects of aerobic and resisted exercises on the quality of life (QoL) and asthma control (AC) of individuals with asthma. Methods: This was a single blinded randomized controlled study involving 45 eligible individuals with asthma. They were recruited from the Respiratory Unit, Department of Medicine, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and were randomly assigned to 3 different groups (A, B, and C). Subjects in Groups A and B performed aerobic exercise and resisted exercise with counselling sessions respectively, while subjects in group C had only counselling sessions. The exercise intervention for Groups A and B lasted for 10–15 mins two times in a week for 6 weeks. At pre- and post-intervention, assessment of QoL and AC of the subjects were done using Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQJuniper) and Asthma Control Test Questionnaire. Results: The result shows that QoL (A: p=0.01, B: p=0.05) and AC (A: p=0.01, B: p=0.01) of patients in Groups A and B improved significantly. Comparison of the mean changes in the QoL and AC showed no significant differences across the 3 groups. Conclusion: Aerobic and resisted exercises were both effective in improving QoL and AC in patients with asthma. Therefore, exercises should be incorporated as an additional treatment approach for asthma.