Written by: Marika Ylilahti, personal trainer, expert in exercise quality and weight management, and mental coach. Commercial partnership.
The snow is melting, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the long-awaited summer is on its way. Wonderful! But: street dust is swirling, pollen is in the air, your eyes are itchy, you’re coughing, and your nose is stuffy. For people with allergies and asthma, spring can be a terrible time. Especially if you happen to be someone who loves the outdoors. Antihistamines, inhalers, and eye drops provide some relief, but they don’t eliminate all symptoms and can even unnecessarily dry out your body and mucous membranes. So we need to find new ways to take care of ourselves so we can enjoy the outdoors, biking, and the sunshine.
Breathing Exercises to Help
This spring, I decided that I’d tried everything else and needed a sensible solution to get this issue under control so I could enjoy the outdoors without worrying about my breathing! I’d read a lot about the Wello device, and my doctor recommended it to me as well. I’ve had asthma for a long time, and sometimes it bothers me so much that I have to forget about being outdoors and take it easy when my bronchial tubes get inflamed from external triggers—and that’s really frustrating for an active person. At its worst, I’ve suffered from consecutive bouts of pneumonia lasting into the summer, since the cause of the irritation hasn’t always been identified.
I took the plunge, and now I’ve been preparing my airways since March in anticipation of the coming spring. I’ve been using Wellolla in the mornings at home and in the evenings at work before my group exercise classes. After just one breathing session, I realized that my airways had definitely opened up! It felt as if my oxygen intake capacity had increased instantly. The longer I’ve continued using the device, the more I’ve noticed that my constant mucus buildup has decreased, I breathe more easily, and I don’t get out of breath as easily as I used to.
I’ve also managed to completely prevent one infection and the onset of an asthma flare-up by inhaling menthol vapor—which came in tablet form with the device—as soon as the first symptoms appeared. The rest of my family had the flu for a couple of weeks, but I got through it without catching it at all. Wello’s warm vapor triggers a defense reaction in the mucous membranes that helps destroy pathogens. An incredible benefit! My 9-year-old child also tried Wello with their own mouthpiece and said they no longer coughed at night due to the cold after using the device to inhale steam in the evening before bedtime. The device comes with multiple mouthpieces and instructions on how to disinfect it between users, so one Wello benefits the whole family.
Breathing Exercises—Not Just for Athletes
In addition to treating symptoms, as a coach, I was of course particularly interested in its respiratory training capabilities. Endurance athletes in particular—such as runners, skiers, marathoners, and others who need aerobic endurance—benefit from using the device. Breathing against the device’s adjustable resistance increases exhalation and inhalation strength, stimulates blood flow to the respiratory muscles, reduces physical stress, and improves overall well-being, as well as helping users master deep breathing techniques that have a positive impact on well-being. All of these benefits are useful for absolutely everyone, not just those who exercise with specific goals in mind.
Who wouldn’t want to fight off infections and avoid unnecessary illness if there were preventive exercises available? Fortunately, there is now a growing awareness that by exercising the body in various ways, we can prevent illness and avoid medication that treats acute symptoms but rarely cures any long-term illness. The effectiveness of continuous, regular medication may even diminish due to prolonged treatment. Through preventive exercise and by taking responsibility for our own well-being, we can avoid even expensive medications and surgeries, as well as many joint and back problems and lifestyle-related diseases, such as metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or respiratory diseases.
Why Wello?
Since I started training with Wello, I’ve been able to significantly reduce my use of the bronchodilators and mucus-clearing medications I used to take so frequently in the spring. Based on the monitoring data from the MyBreath accessory and the Wello app, my breathing—both my exhalation and inhalation strength—has improved significantly, and I’ve been able to increase the resistance level as I’ve continued training. The device has provided the help I was hoping for, and I warmly recommend it to all active people and those with asthma.
If you're interested in getting a Wello, be sure to grab a discount code for the Wello online store from the @ptmarikaylilahti Instagram account under the Wello2.fi highlight.
Wishing everyone a wonderful spring—see you at the EasyFit Center!
Best regards, PT Marika