A fun workout healed Kimberly’s asthma and sinus issues
After struggling with severe asthma and sinus infections since childhood, Kimberly Warner is finally breathing easy— thanks to a unique and effective low-impact workout!
As everyone headed to the field for the parents-kids soccer game, Kimberly Warner pulled her children to the side. “Listen, guys, I can’t run like everyone else. I’ll get too winded. I’m going to have to sit the game out,” the Charleston, West Virginia, mom of five explained. Her good friend happily took her place so the kids could still play, and Kimberly was grateful. But as she watched from the sidelines, sadness and frustration gripped her heart. This isn’t fair to them or to me, she thought.
Kimberly was diagnosed with severe asthma as an infant and had also struggled with sinus infections and environmental allergies her whole life. It not only made it difficult for her to breathe, the potentially fatal condition frequently landed her in the hospital.
Even after undergoing sinus surgery, she continued to use an inhaler and a nebulizer, and was constantly on antibiotics and steroids, which caused weight
“I no longer have to sit on the sidelines—i am all in!” says Kimberly
gain, hair loss, swelling and even the loss of breast tissue. Everyday tasks like walking up stairs or doing laundry proved challenging. But it was not being able to participate in fun activities with her kids that bothered Kimberly the most. Then last year, she had one of the most severe asthma attacks of her life. She tried her inhaler, a nebulizer and even a shot of epinephrine —all to no avail. “I…need… help,” Kimberly gasped to her husband. He called 911, and when EMTS arrived, they found Kimberly’s oxygen levels were dangerously low. Thankfully, they were able to get the numbers up and get her breathing under control. Still, the episode shook Kimberly to the core.
What if the next time they get here too late to help me? she worried. There has to be some way I can make my lungs stronger!
A breath of fresh air
To stay in shape, Kimberly had regularly taught Pilates and a low-impact ballet-style strengthening class called
barre, which she knew wouldn’t trigger her asthma. “I know the best way to boost my lung function is with cardiovascular exercise,” she explained to a friend. “But it always leaves me wheezing.”
But last year, the creator of the barre program Kimberly taught unveiled a new workout that combined barre with “rebounding,” or jumping on a small trampoline, to get the benefit of cardio and toning.
Though intrigued, Kimberly worried jumping would leave her breathless. “But I did some research, and rebounding actually increases oxygen efficiency without making you out of breath,” she told her husband. “I’m going to try it!”
Although she was a bit nervous, Kimberly had a blast during her first rebounding class, then wound down with barre exercises, which gave her lungs a chance to recoup. She went home feeling so invigorated, she decided to become certified to teach the class and even ordered Jumpsport Fitness trampolines ( Jumpsport.com) for her home.
Along with teaching twice a week, Kimberly began rebounding on her own for 30 minutes a day and soon noticed she was breathing much easier and having fewer sinus issues. She stuck with the program, and today, the 37-year-old rarely uses her inhaler and hasn’t needed steroids in over a year! “I no longer sit on the sidelines,” she cheers. “Whatever the activity, I can do it—i’m all in!”