Out for Fresh Air

With some gyms still closed and better weather among us, many of you are taking your training outside. While regular physical activity has tremendous benefits for one’s cardiovascular system and protects it from disease, it’s advisable to be mindful of the environment you train in. If you’re an urban dweller or work in such a setting, you should account for exposure to air pollutants in planning your workouts. Recent research singles out athletes as a vulnerable population that may be severely affected by SARS-CoV2 (Sciomer et al., 2021).

The potential exposure to air pollutants is magnitudes higher with increased intensity. Take running versus walking as a prime example. In comparing an easy 20-minute walk to that of a run of the same duration, the difference in airflow may involve an increase from approximately 240L of airflow to 2000L [European Lung Foundation (available at: www.european-lung-foundation.org)]. Not to mention the breathing style which for most would involve more mouth and less nasal breathing with increased intensity, air would reach the lower respiratory tract colder and less filtered than through the nose.

Air quality should be of consideration in limiting exposure to noxious substances that may increase susceptibility to airborne viruses. Choose your route and/or your timing to do you more good than harm!