Introduction: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways in the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurrent symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, cough, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. About 10% of children under the age of 18 have this condition which is also the third most common reason for hospitalization in children. Children with asthma are prone to an inactive lifestyle compared to healthy children. Aerobic exercise helps with cardiopulmonary function, strengthens the cardiovascular and respiratory system. It is a prolonged type of exercise that includes running, Nordic walking, cycling, swimming, etc. Purpose: To present the effects of aerobic or combined exercise in children with asthma based on a literature review. Methods: We searched the literature in PEDro, PubMed, and Cochrane Library. We searched for scientific articles in Slovene and English, randomized controlled trials, studies published between 2006 and 2020, studies involving asthmatic adolescents and studies investigating the effects of aerobic exercise or a combination of aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Results: Nine studies examining the effects of aerobic or combines exercise in children with asthma aged 18 years or older were analyzed. The children performed aerobic exercise only, combined exercise (aerobic exercise and resistance training) or exercise combined with medication. The measuring tools used in the studies were: Paediatric asthma quality of life questionnaire, 6-minute walk test, Borg scale, forced expiratory volume in one second, forced vital capacity, their ratio, peak flow rate and maximal oxygen consumption. Statistically significant differences were observed in the aerobic capacity of asthmatic children in the intervention groups that performed only aerobic exercise or combined exercise compared with the intervention group that did not perform exercise. Discussion and conclusion: In the analysed studies the authors found that aerobic or combines exercise increased the quality of life of asthmatic children and improved their aerobic endurance. They also found a significant reduction in effort during exercise, as measured by the Borg scale, and in lung function; the best results were observed when peak expiratory flow was measured. Aerobic or combined exercise has been shown to help alleviate asthma symptoms in children and improve their quality of life. Further studies with a uniform treatment protocol and with larger samples are needed.
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