This controlled study is undertaken to investigate the effects of a long term outpatient training program on physical fitness and quality of life in elderly asthmatics.

Physical training is well known to support a healthy lifestyle. Patients with asthma are often unnecessarily restricted of physical activities or avoid exercise due to the unpleasant experience of exercise-induced dyspnea. As a consequence both children and adults with asthma are less fit than their peers. Like in healthy individuals, regular training supports health in asthmatics. In short-term training programs improvements of physical capabilities have been achieved in children and young adults with asthma. Programs of longer durations than 3 months have not been published in controlled trials. Effects of exercise training on quality of life in adult asthmatics are lacking.

Inclusion Criteria:

• physician diagnosed asthma
• non-smoker
• stable condition
• informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• participation in pulmonary rehabilitation in the past 12 months prior to study inclusion
• unability to attend training sessions on a regular basis for one year
• symptomatic coronary heart disease
• uncontrolled heart failure
• hemodynamically relevant cardiac rhythm disorders
• hemodynamically relevant cardiac valvular disorders
• uncontrolled arterial hypertension
• hypercapnic respiratory failure
• severe hypoxemia (i.e. PaO2 <50 mm Hg resp. SaO2 <80% at rest)
• history of decompensated right heart failure
• pulmonary arterial hypertension (PA mean pressure at rest >20 mm Hg)
• severe osteoporosis
• severe airway obstruction (FEV1 <50% predicted, FEV1 <60% predicted following bronchodilatation)
• maximum work rate of less than 50 watt during ergometer testing
• uncontrolled asthma
• COPD exacerbation
• severe adipositas (BMI >35 kg/m2)