A 12-week supervised aerobic exercise program for patients with asthma yielded significant improvements in asthma control, according to research that will be presented Tuesday October 27 at CHEST 2015 in Montréal.

The study, conducted by scientists from Hospital du Sacre-Coeur de Montreal, the Montreal Chest Institute, and Concordia University, was designed using the ORBIT framework to assess the impact of aerobic exercise on asthma control.

According to the study, 66 adult patients with confirmed asthma and poor asthma control were recruited and randomized to receive 12 weeks of usual care or supervised aerobic exercise.

After completion of the intervention, the investigators found that patients in the exercise group had clinically and statistically improved asthma control (0.5 decrease in ACQ), short-acting bronchodilator (SABA) usage (nearly three times less per week), and depressive symptoms (four-point drop in BDI-II).

“A 12-week structured aerobic exercise program could be considered as an adjunct to current pharmacological therapy in adult asthma patients with poor asthma control,” Dr Simon Bacon, director of the Sacre-Coeur rehabilitation center and lead researcher, said in a press release.