However, asthmatics should not overdo it. Instead, they should start slow and build up their workouts over time. Asthma sufferers should stretch before every workout and do some nasal breathing in order to prepare the body for exercise. Finally, swimming is excellent for asthmatics, as they can breathe warm moist air as they exercise rather than dry air that may bring on an asthma attack.
Twenty pounds later and struggling with allergies, she saw a doctor who diagnosed her with asthma.
But instead of telling Kyle to hang up her running shoes, he encouraged her to start exercising again.
The conventional wisdom today for children and adults with asthma is that, in most cases, exercise can lessen the severity of their symptoms and help reduce their medication.
Exercise-induced asthma affects about 80 percent of people with allergic asthma, said Dr. Robert Eitches, assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine.
Symptoms, which include coughing, wheezing, tightness in the chest and shortness of breath, can be triggered by breathing faster and through the mouth, such as during exercise.
The air that's breathed in is usually dryer and cooler, and factors such as pollution, pollen and colds can worsen symptoms.
"I would feel better, no matter how awful I felt in the morning," said Ingersoll, who also stretches, practices breathing exercises and swims.
She has stopped using most of her asthma medications, except for an occasional spray of albuterol to relax and open air pathways in the lungs.
Guy Soo Hoo, a pulmonary critical care specialist with the VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System in West L.A. explained why cardiovascular exercise can alleviate problems: "When cardio endurance improves, you can deliver more oxygen to your muscles.
He advises anyone experiencing an acute episode of asthma to refrain from working out until they are healthier.
Also, stretch and warm up before working out, and try nasal breathing exercises to "get the lungs ready for physical activity," he said.
Because cold air, high pollen counts and smog can trigger an asthma attack, sufferers might do better indoors at certain times.