General precautions

Avoid strenuous exercise if you have a fever, an infection or the common cold.
Restart your program at a lower intensity if your exercise routine is interrupted.
Do not exercise immediately after a big meal.
Do not exercise in extreme heat or cold.
Take your bronchodilators (inhaled reliever medications that open the breathing tubes or airways) before exercising. For more information on this visit module 2 here.
Use recovery positions to manage breathlessness. For more information visit the Managing your symptoms – Breathlessness, breathing control and energy conservation component of module 3 here.

If you experience any of the following symptoms when you are exercising, stop and call 000:

Chest pain or pain radiating up into your jaw or down your left arm.
Feeling faint.
Extreme shortness of breath.

If you experience any of the following symptoms when you are exercising, stop and rest immediately:

Dizziness.
Excessive wheezing.
Extreme pain.
Coughing up blood.
Palpitations.
Blurred vision.
Nausea.
Feeling of palpitations or a racing heart.

None of these symptoms are normal and should prompt you to seek medical attention. NB: If you have diabetes, heart failure, asthma, angina or any other diseases that may affect your ability to exercise discuss these with your health professional to ensure you know the danger signs related to your condition. Download the ‘Danger Signs’ Fact Sheet here.

Exercising at Home