Tips for Physical Education Teacher and Coaches

• Understand that exercise can cause asthma episodes for many students with asthma.
  • Activities that require running and exercise in cold, dry air can trigger asthma episodes more frequently than other types of exercise.
  • There are preventative measures that can be taken to help avoid an asthma episode and allow students to participate in most activities. Discuss these measures with the student and his/her parent(s). These measures can include:
    • Taking medications prior to exercise, as directed by the student's primary care provider.
    • Appropriate warm-up and cool-down exercise.
• Avoid outdoor exercise when pollen or pollution levels are high.
• Support the student's treatment plan if it requires medication prior to exercise.
• Know what to do if an asthma episode occurs.
• Encourage students with asthma to participate in sports, but recognize and respect their limits. When asthma is under good control, students should be able to play sports.
• Know the warning signs and symptoms for asthma.
• Ask the students, parent(s), and school nurse if you have questions about the student's ability to participate in physical education.
• To download a booklet on asthma and physical activity in the schools, go to http://www.schoolasthmaallergy.com/2002-2003/sections/toolkit/tools_nurses/activity.html

Adapted from Managing Asthma: A Guide for Schools. National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institutes (NHLBI), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Fund for the Improvement and Reform of Schools and Teaching, Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), U.S. Department of Education. September 1991. NIH Publication No. 91-2650.

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