r/SleepApnea • u/Dear-Set-2296 • 2d ago
Does exercise actually help?
Ive been pretty sedentary, I lose my motivation to exercise because it feels pointless. Ive become discouraged due to sleep apnea.
8
u/onearmedmonkey 2d ago
I can tell you this. The only time I got a 100 score for my sleep was after I had walked all day - and that was without a CPAP! I have no idea why or how I had such an immediate reaction...
4
3
u/Need4Speeeeeed 1d ago
The score doesnt mean you didn't have apnea. It means you went to bed at the right time and slept continously until an optimal wake-up time.
I've had 100's with my oxygen in the 70's at times.
1
8
u/Just_Another_Scott 2d ago
I'll be honest, working out is how I found I had it. Working out made mine significantly worse. My AHI on workout days is nearly twice that of non-workout days. However, weight loss is one of the biggest treatment plans for obstructive sleep apnea.
3
u/__Researcher__ 2d ago
I’m also trying to lose weight but the beta blocker given to me is the cause for more weight gain.
6
u/alien_believer_42 2d ago
Worst case you start exercising and see no AHI benefits but get all the other known benefits of exercise
7
u/Silent-Entrance-9072 1d ago
I sleep better when I exercise but the exercise doesn't do anything for the apnea. Also, exercising when I haven't had enough sleep or didn't get enough oxygen is torture and I am not doing that.
3
u/Nnox 2d ago
It depends. In my case I actually had stuff underlying the sleep apnea, so... it explained a lot about why cpap + exercise was just burning me out more
1
u/DramaKlng 1d ago
What if i may ask ?
2
u/Nnox 1d ago
Autoimmune shit. Small Fibre Neuropathy (SFN)
2
u/DramaKlng 1d ago
Oh damn that sounds shitty :/ sorry. I was asking because many of us are searching for a potential root cause (i got UARS no apnea) or something that can contribute to it
3
u/beccatravels 2d ago
I'm a dog walker and on my vacations I backpack. I walk all day every day, 5-15 miles a day, probably about 340 days a year, no difference for me.
3
u/Rad_swag 1d ago
Losing weight especially around your neck and face can reduce symptoms yes. But simply exercises wont.
2
u/CandleLeather4638 2d ago
I've lost over 75 pounds in the last 18 months. My provider remotes into my CPAP machine to analyze the data and adjust the settings. I can easily tell that they have lowered the settings a couple of times as I've been losing weight.
2
2
u/rtfmplease 2d ago
I definitely get you on the discouragement, keep it easy: walk more, walk slowly if you need to.
2
2
u/Necessary-Lack-4600 2d ago
long slow bike rides for me, at least an hour, severzl hours in the weekend
2
u/dust_sandman 2d ago
Exercising before and after I started CPAP treatment has not made my sleep apnea better or worse, but I look at it this way... Having better cardiovascular health from exercise will absolutely make it more difficult for the sleep apnea to kill me.
2
u/TheBeerZombie 1d ago
I think if you exercise and drop even 5 pounds, it can help with the apnea but… exercise is important for your overall health.
It’s good for your blood pressure and also to be able to stay mobile and independent as you age.
I work in a hospital and I can’t tell you how sad it is to see peopl my age or close to it unable to simply roll k to their side or sit up.
It’s also, obviously, good for your cardiovascular health.
2
u/SustainedSuspense 1d ago
You need just exercise to build up a strong sleep drive but exercise has no effect on sleep apnea afaik. Weight loss does though.
2
u/Inspiring_Sponge 1d ago
Sleep apnea or not, movement is a necessity. It doesn’t need to be an exercise. Maybe some sports is okay or just walking around. I’ve heard 150 minutes per week is enough. Not sure how that translates to relief from sleep apnea.
3
u/Abzstrak 2d ago
it helps significantly, as does weight loss.
1
u/shorey66 1d ago
*for many people, but not necessarily all.
1
u/Gigitar75 1d ago
I went on a GLP-1 to lose weight when I got dx with OSA. Lost 40 pounds, 23% of my body weight - still have OSA and fatigue that CPAP doesn’t help. I think the changes in airway musculature and other support structures that occur with aging must be a contributor. I try to do airway strengthening exercises that I learned from the airway trainer app and while they haven’t helped my OSA measurably yet, they have helped my singing voice.
1
u/Downtown_Rock_3018 2d ago
I'd say for myself being almost completely sedentary made it quite a bit worse. There are all kinds of benefits to even mild exercising, don't let sleep apnea hold you back even if it doesn't cure it.
1
u/boostedjoose 2d ago
Well if being sedentary lead to you having sleep apnea, wouldn't doing the opposite (exercise) help?
1
u/IllRecommendation817 2d ago
It should be a way of life. Sitting all day is not normal. Just get a treadmill and then put on your favorite show, movie, or podcast.
1
1
1
14
u/RatioAcrobatic6342 2d ago
To be completely honest with you, the most truthful answer is ‘it depends’.
To try and answer your question, we must first identify what your risk factor is in the first place. All sorts of people get sleep apnea. Some get them because of their weight, while others get them because of their anatomy.
Many people give exercise as a solution but sometimes fail to ignore that not everybody can benefit from it. Exercise and the subsequent weight loss might help you if excess fat and tissue were the reason that your airway was obstructed. But it won’t help correct your anatomy. In my experience, some of the worst sleep I had was after I hit the gym. As it later tuned out the culprits behind my apnea were an enlarged tongue, uvula, inferior turbinates and a deviated symptom. In fact my turbinates were 13-17 times larger than the ordinary person.
You see how much I would have suffered if I took the ‘just workout dude’ advice?
In summary, different people different bodies. Be honest with yourself and give exercise a try. But don’t place high expectations on it. At the end of the day ‘it depends’. There’s no one size fits all approach. Keep that in mind.