Three in 10 adults are left gasping for air after walking up a flight of stairs

Three in 10 people are left gasping for air after walking up a flight of stairs, new research suggests.

Four in 10 struggle to catch their breath after running for a bus, while nearly a tenth cannot even pick something up off the floor without feeling lightheaded, a survey of 20,000 people found.

Most adults experience episodes of breathlessness six times a week, with a quarter struggling to breathe during sex, the research adds. 

More than one-fifth of workers experience such symptoms at some point during the day, which may be stress related, the study found. 

Mike McKevitt, director of patient services for the British Lung Foundation, which commissioned the study, said: ‘It’s worrying that so many people found themselves out of breath performing simple actions. 

‘Breathlessness doing everyday tasks could be a symptom of lung disease and is something that shouldn’t be ignored.’

Lung disease, which affects people’s abilities to breathe, affects around 10,000 new people every week in the UK and kills a sufferer every five minutes.

Three in 10 people are left gasping for air after walking up a flight of stairs (stock)

DOES EXERCISE PREVENT DEMENTIA?

Aerobic exercise such as walking and running may halt dementia by preventing the brain from shrinking, research suggested in November 2017.

Being active several times a week maintains the size of the region of the brain associated with memory, a study found.

Known as the hippocampus, this region is often one of the first to deteriorate in Alzheimer’s patients.

Lead author Joseph Firth from the Western Sydney University, said: ‘When you exercise you produce a chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which may help to prevent age-related decline by reducing the deterioration of the brain.

‘In other words, exercise can be seen as a maintenance programme for the brain.’

The scientists, from the universities of Western Sydney and Manchester, analysed 14 studies with a total of 737 participants.

The participants were aged between 24 and 76, with an average age of 66.

They were made up of healthy individuals, Alzheimer’s patients and people with mental health problems, such as depression and schizophrenia.

Scans of the participants’ brains were investigated before and after completing exercise, such as walking or treadmill running.

The exercise programmes lasted between three months and two years, with participants completing two to five sessions a week.  

‘Small changes can make a real difference’

Speaking of the findings, Mr McKevitt said: ‘There are many people in the UK who may have a lung disease but do not have a diagnosis. 

‘Even though more than four in 10 people think they’re fit and healthy, you can see from the results this may not be the case. 

‘If you’re breathless doing every day tasks that’s not right. Lung health is so important to our overall wellbeing. 

‘We shouldn’t be getting out of breath when playing with our children. That’s a warning sign that you should think seriously about getting advice.

He added: ‘No matter your circumstances, it’s possible to make yourself a little bit fitter and your lungs a little bit healthier.

‘Small changes like walking up the stairs rather than taking the lift or getting off the bus a stop early can make a real difference.’

One-third could not run a mile ‘if their life depended on it’  

Results further suggest that one third of people could not run a mile ‘if their life depended on it’.

This may be due to more than 25 per cent of Britons exercising less than once a week, with just a quarter saying they would be able to play a game of sport at their current fitness level. 

After becoming breathless, most need 38 seconds to stop gasping, however, one in 20 adults require more than two minutes before they are breathing comfortably again.

Some 44 per cent claim their fitness level negatively impacts their life, with 15 per cent blaming an injury or exhaustion for not being active, while one in 10 actually enjoy being sedentary.

Stopping exercise can worsen depression in as little as three days (stock)

Stopping exercise can worsen depression in as little as three days (stock)

Stopping exercise worsens depression in three days   

This comes after research released last month suggested stopping exercise can worsen depression in as little as three days.

In a review of six studies assessing the impact of ceasing activity in sufferers of the mental-health condition, results imply their symptoms, such as a continuous low mood, appear almost immediately.

Study author Professor Bernhard Baune, from the University of Adelaide, said: ‘It is important that people understand the potential impact on their mental wellbeing when they suddenly cease regular exercise.’

PhD student Julie Morgan, who was also involved in the study, added: ‘At least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week is recommended to maintain health and prevent depression or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise for added health benefits.’

Previous research suggests being active increases the release of feel-good endorphins, which boost people’s moods and promote calmness. 



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