Shape Magazine
How Pollution Affects Your Workout
- Plan a healthier route: "While vigorously exercising, you're breathing in about 5 to 10 times more air," says Ed Avol, M.S., professor of preventive medicine at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine, "and because you're breathing harder and air is moving faster, not only oxygen but also the pollutants floating in the air reach deeper into your lungs." Avoid cycling, running and skating on heavily trafficked roads where exhaust fumes are at highest levels.
- Schedule for safety: Ground-level ozone forms when heat and sunlight react chemically with vehicle emissions, says Adams, with more heat equaling more ozone. Steer clear of outdoor exercise during peak ozone-generating hours—from 11a.m. to 3p.m.
- Shorten your exercise session: If you normally cycle for an hour, cut back to 45 minutes. If you run for 45 minutes, trim it down to 30. Instead of logging longer workouts a few times a week do shorter bursts of exercise more often to limit the amount of time you're exposed to pollutants each time you work out.
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