Does Exercise Help with Sleep Apnea?
SleepQuest
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Up to 30% of men and 15% of women have been officially diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea but experts believe the percentage of actual sufferers to be far higher.?
The sleeping condition, also often referred to as OSA, causes short pauses in breathing during sleep. This is due to soft tissue in the throat becoming too relaxed and slipping out of position. This results in the air passage becoming obstructed and the sufferer is briefly awoken in order to rectify the problem and restore normal breathing.
This pattern of disturbed sleep has a knock-on effect as the OSA sufferer frequently also experiences daytime fatigue, lapses in concentration and irritability along with physical and medical complaints. There is no single defined cause for obstructive sleep apnea but researchers have noted that obesity may be a contributing factor.
Staying fit and healthy is always a good idea and regular physical exercise plays a key role in maintaining the body in prime condition. But the question now is: Does exercise help with sleep apnea?
Weight Loss and Exercise
Researchers have found that losing weight can reduce the number of OSA symptoms while the converse has also been recognized in patients who remain overweight or gain weight. This particularly seems to be the case for those with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea. Changes are less dramatic for those with severe OSA but there is still a recognizable benefit.
Sleep experts and doctors will regularly recommend that OSA sufferers lose weight if required and remain physically active. On occasions, obstructive sleep apnea sufferers who lost weight and became physically active have seen OSA symptoms disappear entirely.
Exercise alone may not lead to any significant weight loss but there are definite benefits in controlling the worst effects of OSA:
Less breathing pauses during sleep
Better quality sleep
Reduction of daytime drowsiness
Improved heart fitness and muscular strength
Improved cognitive function
The exercises undertaken will necessarily be constrained by the individual's overall level of fitness, physical ability, and age but these benefits alone will dramatically improve the quality of life for many OSA sufferers.
Simple Effective Exercises
Beginning to exercise regularly is something that should be undertaken gradually and sensibly. After years of relative inactivity, it would be unreasonable to expect to run a marathon after just a few weeks of training. Exercise doesn’t mean you have to spend money on fitness programs or joining a gym, as many of the best exercises are free or relatively inexpensive to begin with.
Some simple exercises that can be started immediately are:
Although requiring some guidance, other forms of beneficial exercise include:
Two other excellent forms of exercise which may be suited to older people are yoga and tai chi, but these will necessitate enrolling in a suitable club with qualified instructors.
The problem with exercise is that many people start with the best of intentions but quickly fade in their enthusiasm. It is important to choose a form of exercise that one can enjoy (even if only to a limited extent) and is readily available. Outdoor exercises will obviously be weather-dependent and a run of bad weather will always be a likely excuse for not running, walking, jogging, or cycling.
A realistic approach is to opt for one indoor and one outdoor activity so there is no excuse for putting things off. Once enthusiasm has begun to taper off from one activity, it can be difficult to regenerate the energy you started with and efforts may plummet.
Seek Advice
Obstructive sleep apnea needs to be professionally diagnosed before any treatment can begin. While a doctor may recommend losing weight and undergoing regular exercise, this should be thoroughly discussed before any fitness regimen begins.
The various forms of exercise should be explored and a decision made as to what type of physical activity is best for the patient. Young OSA patients will be far more capable of moderate to intense activity, while older sufferers may be more limited in their choices.
Deciding to lose weight and exercise is a good decision but should not simply be done without professional advice. The human body is capable of many amazing feats of strength and endurance, but these capabilities deteriorate over time and more quickly if the patient has led a largely sedentary life.
Realistic Goals
Despite what many advertisers would lead us to believe, attaining the correct body weight and a top level of fitness cannot be done within a matter of weeks or even months. Nor is this the particular goal when recruiting exercise to help with sleep apnea.
The aim is to reduce weight to a reasonable level and to improve general fitness. Starting slowly and sensibly is more likely to yield lasting and sustainable results than undertaking too much too soon. Regular exercise combined with a balanced, healthy diet is likely to help with sleep apnea, producing noticeable results over time.
While there is currently no cure for obstructive sleep apnea, symptoms can be controlled. Maintaining a proper body weight and staying physically active are two of the best ways of reducing (even eliminating) the worst side effects of OSA. For that reason alone, it makes sense to take part in some form of physical exercise to help with sleep apnea.