Contributed by: Healthians Team
Advantages of exercising
Physical exercise is or should be an integral part of your daily activities to maintain fitness, wellness, and overall health. Physical exercise is performed for various health benefits, such as:
- Enhancing stamina and strength
- Weight management
- Honing athletic skills
- Improves lifestyle by reducing risks of illnesses
Furthermore, physical exercise also produces anti-aging effects, helps develop muscles and the cardiovascular system. Both indoor (dancing, cycling, jump rope, yoga, etc) and outdoor exercises (hiking, biking, running, jogging, etc) are beneficial for your health.
Outdoor exercise provides all the benefits of indoor exercises such as enhancing cardiovascular health, flexibility, endurance, blood flow, and so on. Exposure to sunlight during outdoor exercise can enhance the level of vitamin D in your body. Outdoor exercise can help to reduce seasonal affective disorders, depression, and anxiety while improving your mood and providing mental peace.
Outdoor exercise can be more fun when you do it with your family and friends. Going to the terrace of your building or to the nearby park won’t cost a penny but it can grant you numerous health benefits and protect you from various illnesses. Physical exercise is good for health when you exercise in a pollution-free environment or places with low pollution levels. Several studies have shown that outdoor exercise or people working outside in polluted air can make them sick and lead to various cardiovascular diseases such as stroke and heart attack.
The combination of outdoor physical exercises and air pollution can be quite unhealthy. Various health problems associated with high air pollution levels include:
- Eyes, nose, and throat irritation
- Damage to the airways of the lungs
- The onset of serious respiratory conditions, such as asthma, bronchitis, and even cancer. Decreased lifespan
- Harming of the respiratory system cells
- increased risk of heart attack and strokes
- Breathing difficulties during outdoor activities
- Aggravated cardiovascular diseases and respiratory illness
When you exercise, your breathing rate goes fast and you inhale more oxygen present in polluted air. Polluted air carries toxic substances that go into your body through breathing. Plenty of oxygen requirement in your body causes a switch from nasal breathing to breathing through the mouth. It provides a way for several toxic substances to enter the lungs through the mouth and nose hair ( nose hair that resists the toxic substances present in the oxygen and send the fresh oxygen in the lungs) rendering the nasal passage useless.
Inhaling of such toxic particles during breathing can cause inflammation of the lungs and if you intake toxic substances for a prolonged period, you may have the chances of asthma, stroke, bronchitis, etc. Some outdoor exercises you can avoid if the level of air pollution is high. They include walking, cycling, outdoor yoga, sports, and jogging as such exercises make you consume more oxygen.
Useful tips you can follow to limit the effects of air pollution while you exercise:
- Monitor air pollution level before you go out for exercise. You can check it on several government monitoring stations, who continuously measure and report the level of air pollution. They also provide a forecast of the level of pollution that enables you to decide which part of the day to go outside will be better. Besides government monitoring stations, several hospitals, local or state pollution control agencies, or websites also provide information regarding the quality of air.
- Analyze your location and route when you go outside for exercise. Try to use your nearby areas such as the park, public spaces, and green spaces. Several studies have shown that green space plays a key role in our overall health and fitness.
- Avoid doing cycling, jogging, or walking behind the vehicles such as motorcycles, scooters, and cars because they emit harmful toxins causing lung damage. Try to move nearby the vehicles because it will reduce your exposure to harmful substances emitting from the vehicle as well as will help you to maintain some distance.
- Avoid walking on busy roads with high buildings as this type of road contains poor quality of air. Traffic lights are also considered a pollution hotspot because when vehicles move away from traffic lights, they give off more emissions. Therefore, exercise near busy roads and traffic lights should be avoided.
The bottom line
Do not stop exercising without your doctor’s consent. Outdoor exercise in polluted air may lead to cardiovascular and other illnesses but if you stop going outside and remain inactive, it may also lead to serious health problems. Try to go out and exercise when the quality of air is moderate. The level of air pollution affects your health badly. Keep following all the health measures and avoid going outside when the quality of air is not up to the mark.
