Guest Author - Amy Anaruk

Most asthma websites recommend swimming as one of the best forms of exercise for asthmatics, but the idea is getting controversial. The reasoning behind swimming�s positive pulmonary effects makes sense. Taking deep breaths and holding your breath at regular intervals increases lung capacity and trains the lungs into steady breathing patterns, both of which can only help asthmatics.

But according to various well-respected asthma sites like Global Initiative for Asthma or the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, swimming is also a beneficial exercise because indoor pools provide a moist, warm environment good for lungs. This environment, researchers like Brent S. Rushall, Ph. D., and Larry Weisenthal, M.D., argue, actually makes indoor pools dangerous for asthmatics. In �Swimmer�s Asthma: The Serious Health Problem with Chlorinated Pools," they discuss how public pools often use too much chlorine to sanitize the water, and inhaling high concentrations of the toxic by-products of chlorine can damage the respiratory tract. Most indoor pools don�t have adequate ventilation, and since chlorine gas is heavier than air, the highest concentration of toxins is close to the surface of the water, where you swim. The higher the concentration of chlorine gas, the worse the damage.

In fact, researchers in a recent European study report that areas with greater concentrations of indoor swimming pools have greater concentrations of children with asthma. The data possibly support a hypothesis that indoor pool use makes some children develop asthma, say these scientists from the Catholic University of Louvain in Brussels. The subject obviously requires more research, but chlorine is known to cause pulmonary problems if inhaled in strong concentrations.

Outside pools are not always safe, either, some scientists point out, because public pools tend to over-chlorinate for safety reasons. Usually the over-chlorination doesn�t cause problems because breezes around the pool dilute the chloramines away. However, some outdoor pools with high sides can pose a danger on humid days with no breeze because the heavy, still air traps the gases close to the water surface just like in poorly ventilated indoor pools. Private pools don�t carry the same risk because families don�t use as much chlorine as in public pools.

Anecdotal evidence suggests many asthmatics believe regular swimming in indoor and outdoor pools improved their health. On the other hand, the 2000 U.S. Olympic swim team contained more asthma sufferers--one-quarter of the whole team--than any other U.S. team that year. Olympic swimmers largely train in indoor pools.

While swimming itself appears to help asthmatics, too much evidence exists for me to feel 100% safe with indoor pools. In general, I think the safest bet for asthma sufferers�until the whole picture gets clearer�is to use beaches and lakes more than swimming pools and to pick outdoor pools over indoor ones. I won�t let my asthmatic swim in a pool if I can smell the chlorine in the air, either, and I�m keeping a close eye on advances in non-chlorine pool sterilization.


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"Smile, breathe and go slowly." -Thich Nhat Hanh



This article is not written by a medical professional, and information on this page should never be substituted for your physcian's advice. If you have any questions about your asthma and/or allergies, you should always contact your physician first.