Whether you are suffering from of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a mechanical dysfunction of breathing during sleep or central sleep apnea (CSA), a neurological dysfunction of breaking during sleep, it is possible to use exercise to get relief from them. Both of them have long-term negative impacts on your health and so it is very important for you to do something about them as soon as you can. It may impact you even during the day because when you are not able to sleep properly at night, you are going to have the side effect of sleep apnea known as excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS).

Exercise for treating sleep apnea

In a study published in 2014, researchers found that exercise can have a significant effect in reducing the severity of sleep apnea. They also found that minimal changes in body weight may help you to reduce the severity of sleep apnea, especially in case of patients with OSA.

The simple task of exercising can help you in management of your sleep apnea. Even if you do not lose any weight as a result of regular exercising, it is going to help you to manage your sleep apnea problem better and improve it. Besides improving your overall fitness level it will also help you to fight the excessive daytime sleepiness problem resulting from sleep apnea. At the same time, it will also improve your overall sleep quality and efficiency.

Another study published in 2016 in Respiratory Medicine found that the above-mentioned findings are correct. It also found that irrespective of weight loss, exercise can be the single intervention in treatment of OSA which can help the patient tremendously.

Weight loss

Besides having a positive impact on your life, weight loss will also have a direct impact on your sleep apnea problem. Weight reduction is a proactive therapeutic component for most of the chronic diseases and it is a well-tested and successful method of treatment. Many medical conditions are willing to overweight and obesity and the same is true in case of sleep apnea.

Restricting number of calories consumed or intake of fat or carbs can be your approach to treat OSA. It is more useful for you if your BMI indicates that you need to lose some weight. In this matter, your nutritionist, dietician and physician can help you to find the right approach. If you choose dietary approaches for weight loss, that is another effective method. You can make it more effective if you can combine dietary approaches and regular exercise.

What type of exercise

You may have a question- what type of exercise do I need to get relief from sleep apnea? You may also need to know how much exercise and how frequently you need to do that. Your physician can help you understand that better depending on your present condition and it can be customised to you and your body so that you get the maximum benefit.

Aerobic exercises are very good for you if you have sleep apnea. It helps in weight loss and it also keeps you more active. Find out the best aerobic exercise for yourself. It may be running, yoga, swimming, playing different types of recreational sports, rope skipping, step classes, walking and other things.

Choose one or more exercises and do them regularly. It will improve your sleep efficiency and will encourage deep sleep which is known as stage 3 sleep. You will feel more rested when you wake up next morning and it will also enhance your positive mood.

References
1. The Sleep Apnea Exercise Program
2. Living With Sleep Apnea
3. Sleep Apnea