More daily activity or aerobic training: which helped asthma control more?

News summary

Medical Xpress reported that, for people with moderate-to-severe asthma, increasing everyday physical activity may produce improvements in disease control similar to those seen with structured aerobic training. In the trial, 52 physically inactive adults with uncontrolled asthma were assigned to one of two eight-week programs: twice-weekly treadmill training or a weekly behavioural program designed to increase daily activity and reduce sedentary time. Both groups achieved clinically meaningful improvements in asthma control and quality of life, and much of the benefit was still present four months later. The news takeaway is that, alongside medication, increasing daily activity may offer some patients a more flexible alternative to a structured exercise program.

After eight weeks, both groups improved asthma-control scores by more than the minimal clinically important difference, and the improvement was maintained at the 16-week follow-up. Asthma-related quality of life also improved by a clinically meaningful amount in both groups. The researchers found no clear difference in the main outcome between approaches and concluded that the choice can be guided by patient preference and the care setting's capacity.

The finding does not mean that simply telling someone to 'walk more' is equivalent to pulmonary rehabilitation or supervised aerobic training. The behavioural program was multi-component, with regular counselling, individualized goals, wearable activity monitoring, and behaviour-change strategies. All participants also continued their prescribed asthma medication, so physical activity was an adjunct to medical treatment, not a replacement for it.

The study was small and conducted at a single specialist center, and most participants were women with overweight or obesity, which limits generalizability. Only physically inactive adults aged 18–65 with moderate-to-severe uncontrolled asthma were included. Follow-up after the intervention lasted four months, so the long-term durability of the effect and outcomes such as severe exacerbations or hospitalization remain uncertain.